Profile:Cambridgeshire - The Library Presents Arts Alive

Our goal is the delivery of high quality professional arts experiences selected by the community in ten libraries across Cambridgeshire. We will work with Babylon Arts to deliver a menu of inspiring activities to reach new audiences, and to develop the skills of Friends Groups, library staff and volunteers. The arts programme will further build local audiences for the arts - in libraries and beyond, it will make best use of library buildings, engage people in volunteering and develop confidence and skills to sustain this. There will be three main strands of programming: Performances (inc film screenings of high quality alternative content), Workshops, Book Festivals. We aim to run 2 seasons of programming, allowing the time to plan, present menu, select, book and promote each ‘season’, to focus on presenting it and then move on to the next cycle. We will run one of the seasons in October/Nov 2017, to include National Libraries Week, the second in and around February 2018. Ideally, there will be 25 -30 performances over the whole programme (approx. 3 in each library). Nathan Jones of Babylon Arts will be working closely with the County Council to draft the brief for artists and put together a menu for the Libraries/ Friends Groups to select from. The Friends Groups will have their own ideas and preferences, some of them have been involved with a similar programme previously – we would like to tempt and surprise them and would welcome your support to do so. We have lots of work to do and we’re looking forward to it immensely! Joanne Gray Partnerships, Projects and Funding Manager Community and Cultural Services Cambridgeshire County Council ET4000, PO Box 450, Great Cambourne, Cambridge, CB23 6ZR Telephone: 01223 715476 e.mail: joanne.gray@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Web: http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/arts/