The project will be delivered by Just Addictive Music and runs from July 2012 to April 2013. It charts the emergence of diverse and multicultural artists from Yorkshire since the 1950’s and looks at the contribution that such artists have made to the region’s rich cultural heritage. The project will document the artists’ cultural traditions and heritage and how this has evolved through their experiences, stories, work and the communities in which they live.

Artists will be selected who have made a significant contribution to the cultural life of Yorkshire in the five decades from 1950-2000 and will include actors, musicians, writers, painters and poets. Their interviews will feed into a website, an archive and exhibitions based around their stories and work. Just Addictive Music is looking for volunteers to get involved with the New Cultural Voices project. These volunteers will be trained to conduct artist interviews  under the guidance of  Just Addictive Music and the organisation is keen to hear from anyone interested in becoming a volunteer and also from artists who would like to be interviewed for the project. 

Just Addictive Music is an arts and cultural organisation that has been working in the Yorkshire region for over ten years. It represents and champions diversity and equality in the arts and collaborates with many different communities and groups, creating performances, exhibitions and workshops, helping to encourage and develop the creativity of participants of all ages.

Just Addictive Music is especially excited about New Cultural Voices, as this kind of project has never been undertaken in the region before. It will record the memories and experiences of these varied artistic individuals and their communities. It will research their experiences, stories and recollections of their heritage and artistic work and give voice to cultural traditions within Yorkshire since the 1950s.

Paul Pryce, Director of Just Addictive Music, said: “Yorkshire has changed dramatically in the last 50 years and if we don’t act now, some of these artists’ stories and legacy will be lost to future generations.”

Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and Humber, said: “The creative community has played a vital role in Yorkshire’s lively and varied character. This project will preserve this unique heritage by capturing the stories and memories of individual artists who have made a positive contribution to the region over the past 50 years.”