Community arts programme awarded £1m funding

Transported, a Boston-based community programme, has been given £1m from the Arts Council

A community arts programme in Lincolnshire has been awarded £1m in Arts Council funding.

Transported aims to increase the number of people engaging in arts experiences in Boston and South Holland.

The funding comes as part of the Arts Council's largest Creative People and Places (CPP) Portfolio, which sees £42m invested in 45 programmes from 2026 to 2029.

The money will go towards Transported's new "Mind The Gap" project, which aims to bridge the gap in local arts and culture provision through festivals and public art.

Transported, which has been running for 12 years, operates from within the University of Lincoln's College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.

With the funding it hopes to engage with communities where arts activities have been harder for people to access.

A spokesperson for the arts programme said there was a local appetite for hands-on creative activities, like the 1000 Faces sculpted heads and portraits project.

Director, Nick Jones, said: "Transported has opened up new opportunities for more people to engage with the arts, but there's still more to do."

He added: "We want to create high-quality, place-based arts experiences that truly resonate with our communities and we're delighted to have the support of Arts Council England to help."

Boston and South Holland are the only areas in Lincolnshire to benefit from the CPP scheme, which aims to bring arts experiences to parks, village halls and community spaces.

Liz Johnson, Midlands area director at Arts Council England said Transported's new initiative will "help the area to thrive through a collaborative approach to culture".

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