Cultures and memories

Cultures and memories

Two people are in a costume room and are looking down at a pattern on a cutting table. In the background are images of costumes, costumes on mannequins and rolls of fabric stacked on shelves
Credit: Carrie Davenport / Lyric Theatre.
These are the customs and traditions, skills and knowledge, passed down to us through generations.

Since 1994 we have awarded over £510million to more than 24,600 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.

Commemorating the Pipers of the First World War

Projects

Pipers and Pipe Music of the Great War

Volunteers from the Scottish Pipers Association researched the tunes and stories behind the Pipers of the First World War, including the iconic image of the Piper leading the soldiers into battle.

Project participants receiving their award on Awards Day
Project participants receiving their award on Awards Day

Projects

Remembering the Windrush decade in Watford

In June 1948, the SS Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury bringing the very first migrants from the Caribbean to settle in Britain. There are many in the Watford community who arrived then, or in the ten years that followed, in what has subsequently become known as the “Windrush Decade”.

Sculpture trail in the Chevin Forest Park
Sculpture trail in the Chevin Forest Park

Projects

Chevin Through Time

Chevin Forest Park’s fascinating stories are being told through heritage trails, spotters’ guides, podcasts and their interactive website.

Young person conducting interview

Projects

I-Land Life

For Friction Arts' I-Land Life project, young people from Birmingham's Five Ways Estate discovered stories of their families' heritage and migration to Britain.

Young people in front of a vintage bus

Projects

From Tips to Technology

A group of young disabled people explored the heritage of South Wales to develop a sense of their identity.

Young people performing a song at a cricket match
Young people performing their song at a cricket match

Projects

Cricket Roots

Young people explored cultural diversity through sport, composing a song and creating an exhibition inspired by the lives of overseas players at Kent County Cricket Club.

A group of young people who participated in1947 The Partition Project

Projects

1947 The Partition Project

Young people interviewed older British Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs about their experiences of the Partition of India and created an exhibition and workshops for schools and community groups.

Young Muslim Aberdeen

Projects

Young Muslim Aberdeen

A group of local young Muslims explored how their heritage is archived in two major city museums, in a project run by Young Muslim Aberdeen.

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