UKSPF Funding and Artistic Projects

In 2022, Vale of White Horse District Council secured £1m worth of funding through the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF - part of the Levelling Up Agenda). The fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK, investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and increasing people's skills.

South Oxfordshire District Council has been working with Fusion Arts to deliver this project in collaboration with local communities in Didcot and Berinsfield.

The key aims of this project will be to build on the existing E6 UKSPF arts and culture initiative in Berinsfield and Didcot.

• Enhancing community wellbeing and address health inequalities by a series of community arts activity and cultural engagement programmes

• Building on community arts activities in community facilities and cultural organisations

• Creating long lasting links with a range of individuals and community groups to identify artistic opportunities and adapt projects to address inequalities.

During the summer of 2023, Fusion Arts collaborated with local partners to deliver a series of inclusive, artist-led workshops in Didcot, strengthening community relationships and providing creative opportunities for all. Workshops were part of Future Visions of Didcot and Pride Picnic.

Workshops featured a diverse range of activities, including:

• Collage, drawing, and creative making – Encouraging self-expression through hands-on artistic exploration.
• Wooden bunting design – A collaborative project allowing participants to contribute to a shared community artwork.
• Screen printing and upcycling – Teaching sustainable creative practices, including customising clothing and textiles.

Additionally, Fusion Arts experimented with pop-up open workshops at Templars Square, reintroducing spontaneous, accessible art-making experiences to public spaces. The summer also saw a renewed collaboration with Parasol Project, offering engaging creative sessions to children and young people.

Berinsfield Health and Wellbeing Pop Up

Fusion Arts partnered with Berinsfield community services to highlight the wide range of support available to residents. Drawing on our expertise, facilities, and resources, we hosted a fun art printing session, allowing participants to explore creativity as a form of self-expression, develop new skills, and enjoy the process. In just 20–30 minutes, attendees created and took home their own artwork.

At Berry Youth Centre, we ran a Halloween-themed screen printing workshop during half-term, introducing young people to the technique while they designed and printed personalised trick-or-treat tote bags featuring spooky imagery.

The art sessions quickly gained high attendance due to their fresh and engaging approach, attracting 8-15 young people to each weekly drop-in.

During the Christmas holidays, we hosted a special session where participants created large self-portrait panels and stenciled Christmas cards. This proved to be hugely popular, with over 30 young people squeezing into the small art room to take part.

The success of the "Art Club" has even led to new enrollments in the youth club. A core group of regular attendees has formed, while new participants continue to join and explore. Now, with a dedicated creative space, we are expanding skills and experimenting with different materials each week, ensuring continued growth and engagement.

Sessions and Workshops in Didcot & Berinsfield 2023:

• Summer garden parties and creative sessions in Didcot, led by Alice Hackney
• Workshops on camera-less photography, screen printing, and mapping projects as part of the Berinsfield Bureau led by Lisa-Marie Gibbs and Laura de Moxom.
• Regular art activities at Berry Youth Club and Children’s Youth Club led by Fusion Arts.
• Community art workshops involving diverse groups.

Impact:

• Employed 10 artists.
• Delivered 11 community art sessions.
• Engaged over 351 participants in Berinsfield and 93 in Didcot.

Laura de Moxom & Lisa-Marie Gibbs - “Berinsfield Bureau” Collecting images and stories. Engaging in workshops with groups: Memory Cafe, Library History Group, Berry Youth Club, Bingo, Day Centre, Community Larder, Multicultural Group, Graft Groups, Berry Centre. Creating Berinsfield Bunting. Community Day

Naomi Morris - “Berinsfield Landing” Local early career artist living in Berinsifield. Creative Development and explore creating 360 film and collecting stories of place.

Samuel Mansell - “Berry People” Film maker & Youth Worker. Creating a short collaborative film interviewing residents and documenting life in Berinsfield

Hannah Fredsgaard: Multi-instrumentalist and sound artist. Produced field recordings to build a soundscape of Berinsfield.

• Collaborative Mural at the Youth Centre: Facilitated the creation of a mural, designed with input from young people (ages 5-21) at Berry Youth Centre. Over five sessions, mural artist Lisa Curtis guided participants in bringing their ideas to life. The completed mural will be installed outside the centre.
• Community Mosaic Project: Led the creation of three unique mosaics, engaging four different community groups, including the Berin Centre, the Over-65s Crafts Club, and a local church group. Working with community artist Jo Acty, Fusion Arts supported participants in designing and crafting the mosaics, which will be installed in three separate locations.
• Nature Trail Wood Carvings: Commissioned local wood sculptor Andrew Binnie to create five hand-carved wooden animals, now installed at key locations along the nature trail. This project was coordinated with the Garden Communities team of the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Council to enhance community engagement with local green spaces.

All projects were designed in collaborations and consultation with the respective community groups of interest.

Impact:

• Employed 3 artists.
• Delivered 16 community art sessions.
• Engaged over 75 participants in Berinsfield.