The local MP for Hastings and Rye, Sally-Ann Hart, has welcomed the £80,000 that Hastings town centre will receive from Historic England as part of their Highstreets Heritage Action Zone schemes.
On hearing the news, Sally-Ann said, “I am thrilled that Hastings town centre will be receiving this £80,000 from Historic England to support cultural activities in our town. This funding will support work in the Trinity Triangle area of Hastings, helping to boost tourism and engagement with our cultural assets in this area. As all of us who call Hastings and Rye home will know, our music, art, performing and cultural scene is the beating heart of our towns. It is what brings life to our streets and puts rhythm and creativity into our pubs, clubs, community centres and shops.”
Today, Historic England announced that more than 60 High Streets Heritage Action Zones (HSHAZ) will receive substantial grants totalling £6 million going to local arts organisations to create and deliver community-led cultural activities on their high streets over the next three years. Grants of up to £120,000 have been awarded to fund cultural activity on each high street. 6 high streets in the South East taking part in the Heritage Action Zone scheme will benefit from a total of £530,000.
In Hastings the cultural programme ‘Create Community Culture’ will position this high street location as Trinity Triangle Cultural Quarter. Through a pulse of cultural activities co-created with the community, residents, visitors participate and develop this high street location as an attractive, engaging and vibrant place to live, work and spend time. The programme celebrates the rich history of the public realm and invites residents to interpret their relationship with the area through co-production of a series of cultural outputs created with local cultural producers like musicians, composers, visual artists, writers and historians.
Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage MP, said, "High streets are often the heart of our communities and should be places we all want to engage with and enjoy. These grants will help transform high streets into thriving cultural hubs, encouraging us to embrace all the joys our town centres have to offer."