Cultures and memories

Cultures and memories

A group of people wearing Nigerian traditional clothes, celebrating the launch of Hibiscus Rising.
Hibiscus Rising, Leeds. © David Lindsay.
These are the customs and traditions, skills and knowledge, passed down to us through generations.

Since 1994 we have awarded £460million to more than 24,100 community and cultural heritage projects across the UK.

What do we support?

We fund projects which help to explore, save and celebrate the traditions, customs, skills and knowledge of different communities.

This cultural heritage is sometimes referred to as intangible or living heritage. This is because it is constantly changing and kept alive when practiced or performed.

We also fund projects which document and share people’s memories. This often involves capturing oral histories and ensuring they are accessible now and in the future.

Project ideas

Our funding could help people:

  • research and share oral traditions, such as storytelling or local dialects
  • train others in traditional skills and crafts, from dry stone walling and blacksmithing to basket weaving and textile making
  • research the origins of culture, such as music, theatre or dance, and create performances influenced by past styles
  • share the history and fun of celebrations, festivals or rituals with new audiences, from games and cooking to carnivals and fayres
  • capture accounts of traditional knowledge or pass it on, such as woodland management or home remedies
  • record the stories of ordinary people through oral histories, for example about growing up, migration or work
  • retell people’s memories about a place or event, such as a long-stay hospital, the miners' strikes or the punk movement

How to get funding

If you have an idea for a project, we would love to hear from you.

Young people taking part in a workshop
Young people taking part in a workshop

Projects

Langley World War 1: Poetry film project

Residents of the Langley Estate in Manchester used stories and photographs of their ancestors as inspiration to create a collective poem and film.

Young people interviewing for the radio station
Young people interviewing for the radio station

Projects

Dub Plate to Dub Step

Young people researched 50 years of Caribbean music and culture in Bristol and shared their findings via radio, film and online.

Participants of the Routes and Rhythm project

Projects

Routes & Rhythm

The Routes and Rhythm project was created by a group of young people who wanted to know more about their cultural heritage through the history of music.

Students researching the heritage of the Beechey family
Students researching the heritage of the Beechey family

Projects

Lincoln War Stories

Inspired by the archives held at the Lincolnshire Museum of Life, young people explored Lincoln’s history to develop a radio play about life in the First World War.

Handling fabrics
Handling fabrics at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Projects

Young curators in Birmingham discovered west African textiles

Students from Birmingham universities worked with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to create an exhibition to showcase and explore the museum’s West African textile collections.

Young people making use of professional photography equipment
Young people making use of professional photography equipment

Projects

Young people discover the story of the Accrington Pals

Young people researched the experiences of the Accrington Pals in the First World War, developing a short film and workshop for secondary schools and encouraging others to make their own films.

The students taking part in one of the organised activities
The students taking part in one of the organised activities

Projects

Portobello Youth Heritage Project - 'Dig Deep'

Young people worked with a community arts organisation to discover the medieval heritage of their local area and build a stronger sense of community cohesion.

Participants in the project
Young participants in the project

Projects

Park Place Remembers the Great War

Young people in Tredegar explored the history of a local memorial plaque through creative work and film-making.

Image icon showing simple outline of traditional tools

Projects

Revival of Ancient Crafts

Young people with learning disabilities practiced a variety of ancient crafts and shared new skills with their wider local community through a traditional fair.

Young people researching the heritage of boxing

Projects

Tribal: a cultural history of boxing in the East End

Young people explored the heritage of boxing in London's East End, including the social impact on the local community and its relationship to gangs and crime, ethnic identity and the entertainment scene.

Craven's Part in the Great War
Craven's Part in the Great War artifacts

Projects

Craven's Part in the Great War

This project was based on an idea taken from an original book, published by the Craven Herald in 1920, commemorating every soldier from the Craven District who fell in the First World War.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.