Great Place Lakes and Dales Update Tuesday 24 March 2020

During these unprecedented times and the continued uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak we have spent the past ten days closely following government and NHS advice and consulting with our funding partners and programme delivery team. Between us we have made the sad but inevitable decision to postpone all forthcoming off-line programme activity including Aerial; The Fold and Hinterlands events.

All participants and attendees have been notified separately by the event organisers – our colleagues and amazing creative teams who have worked tirelessly and imaginatively during the past year to co-design and engage young people with their planned activity to help Great Place Lakes and Dales (GPLD) realise our aspirations for the area.  We extend a big thanks to them for their continued input and resilience and will continue to work closely and flexibly with them to re-programme future activity.

The health and wellbeing of our creative communities in the Lakes and Dales is paramount and we remain committed to supporting the people and organisations working with us across the arts, culture and heritage sectors. This includes our seedfundees and creative champions who continue to showcase the Lakes and Dales as a place of creative and contemporary inspiration.  We will continue to update you but please keep following us on social media and lakesanddales.org for details of new dates. These changes and timings will obviously be in conjunction with ongoing developments, government advice and partners’ continued support.

Although we are disappointed right now, there are many opportunities emerging which we intend and hope to capitalise on. Digital communication is one of them and our existing platforms and social hubs, including Collective North, will help us to engage and support each other virtually. The challenge is to do this creatively and meaningfully and this can only happen if we work together. We want to ensure that the passion and enthusiasm from artists, creatives and young people, those who live and work in the Lakes and Dales continues to be ignited but we need to help ensure that you are supported and heard during these tough times. The world feels a very different place right now but let’s continue to create our great place together.

So keep talking to us. Innovation, creativity and love is at the heart of what we do and will help us realise imaginative ways to support each other as we navigate new and unknown territories.

Take care and stay safe, but don’t do it alone keep in touch  at hello@lakesanddales.org 

Let’s love more and do more together.

#LakesandDales

Instagram: @greatplace_lakesanddales

Twitter @GP_LakesDales or

Facebook @GPLakesDales

and Collective North https://www.collective-north.co.uk/

Also to help support you during the current COVID-19 situation, we have signposted below some resources and actions to help navigate available support information and help to get your voice heard by local and national bodies. There are also a number of surveys you can participate in to help ensure that the arts, culture, heritage and creative industries continue to be heard and supported.

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19

https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/coronavirus-update

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-action-plan

https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/coronavirus-resources-practitioners-and-organisations

https://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/information/coronavirus

https://www.ipse.co.uk/ipse-news/news-listing/coronavirus-ipse-activity-and-advice-freelancers.html

https://www.tutti.space/free-resources

https://cumbriacvs.org.uk/coronavirus/

https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/covidculture 

GPLD also has a number of digital assets that aim to support the creative sector and include:

https://createyourfuture.me.uk/

https://livemoredomore.co.uk/

https://www.collective-north.co.uk/