Council Officers shortlisted for Hearts for the Arts Award

Hearts for the Arts is a National Campaign for the Arts initiative.

The Hearts for the Arts awards are an annual celebration of the local authorities who invest in the joy, excitement and life-enriching quality of the arts. Each year they demonstrate the power of the arts to change lives.

The awards shine a spotlight on councils and individual officers and Councillors who are overcoming financial challenges to ensure the arts are at the centre of community life.

Kath Davies, Economic Resilience Project Manager (Creative Economy) and Kirstie Wilson (Development Librarian) have both been shortlisted in the Best Local Authority Arts Champion Officer category.

They were each nominated by their colleagues for the passion and dedication to introducing the arts in local communities using new and innovative ways; including introducing new partnerships and collaborative working.

One such collaboration was formed by Kath involving the markets service, traders and the University of Huddersfield to develop the ‘Temporary Contemporary’ initiative in Queensgate Market.

Kirstie co-created ‘Being All I Can Be’, workshops with performance poets to engage secondary school age young people to use the library’s ‘Shelf Help’ collection; using drama, creative writing and rap to foster acceptance and empathy.

The winners of the Hearts For The Arts Awards 2019 will be announced on Valentine’s Day, Thursday 14 February.

For more information visit https://forthearts.org.uk/campaigns/hearts-for-the-arts/