LOCAL groups are being offered funding to bring arts and culture into living rooms of the self isolating.

Bradford Council’s “Response” scheme is aimed at the arts sector. As part of the pilot scheme, arts groups will be able to apply for grants of between £500 and £1,000 to develop ways to connect with isolated people, through means such as podcasts and streaming services.

The Council said: “Bradford Council recognises that due to Coronavirus Arts and Culture will be affected as a sector and will struggle to provide their usual cultural activities in the foreseeable future.

“Also as many vulnerable people in our communities may feel isolated, the sector is amazingly resourceful in creating solutions, idea generation and testing new ways of working.

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“Arts and Cultural engagement is essential for health and wellbeing. If people are unable to go out they will not be able to enjoy the usual rich offer of projects and activities in the district.

“In response to this we have created a new grant programme called ‘RESPONSE’ with the aim to support the sector but to also support the communities we work with. It will operate as pilot programme and we will monitor the demand and scale and adjust where we can.”

AIms of the project include finding alternative ways to connect, allow people to interact without leaving their homes, offer support for artists and freelancers and engaging the public in the run up for Bradford’s 2025 Capital of Culture bid.

The projects have to take place between March and August.

For more information contact Karen.lewis@bradford.gov.uk on 07582103191 or Nicola.greenan@bradford.gov.uk on 07866005482.