Cultures and memories
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.
Projects
Unsung: Celebrating the Bicentenary, Social Actions and legacy of Edward Rushton
A city-wide project celebrated the extraordinary life of activist Edward Rushton as part of DaDaFest International 2014.
Projects
Connected Histories: Muslims in the First World War
The project explored and commemorated the significant contribution made by Muslim soldiers in the British Indian Army in the First World War.
Projects
No Game For Girls: A history of women's football in WW1
No game for girls explored how First World War munitionette football teams drew crowds of thousands before they were banned after the war by an anti-women’s football campaign.
Projects
St Clere's Co-operative Academy Trust explore the First World War
A cluster of primary schools and a secondary academy were involved in this project learning about the First World War.
Projects
Exploring Britain's Viking Heritage with East Anglian Schools
Three hundred school children across East Anglia became Vikings for three days when they learnt about life during Viking times.
Projects
WWI - Near & Far
The WW1 Near and Far project involved nearly half of the Onslow St Audrey’s school in Welwyn Garden City learning about the First World War.
Projects
Blinders to Burgers: Gang Culture in Birmingham: Lessons from History
Inspired by TV series Peaky Blinders, young people used drama to explore the heritage of gang culture from Victorian times to the modern day.
Projects
Being British: sharing the contribution of Birmingham's migrants
Young people researched the experiences and impact of Birmingham's migrants and discovered what it means to be British.
Projects
Coming Out Stories
Young people captured, preserved and shared the Coming Out Stories of Birmingham’s LGBT community.
Projects
New Street Station history project for young people
Young people from Midland Actors Theatre joined the Library of Birmingham to explore and share the 160-year history of New Street Station.
Projects
Medieval Music Mashup: A celebration of Robert ap Huws manuscript in modern times
Young people learned about ancient Welsh music and were taught how to use modern digital devices to create their own new compositions.
Projects
Ham weaving our way through history (heritage and media)
This project examined the social history of Forfar weavers to gain an understanding of what weavers’ lives were like and what their woven goods were used for.