Gloucester Civic Trust is awarded a £57,890 grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore, conserve and transform The Folk of Gloucester
Gloucester Civic Trust are celebrating today after receiving a £57,890 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund an exciting heritage project called Rebirth of The Folk of Gloucester; What, Where, When, Why? in Gloucester.
Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project, starting this month, focuses on the restoration and conservation of recently discovered ‘at-risk’16th Century wall paintings and engagement with diverse communities in the city through training opportunities, exhibitions and workshops.
Supported through the Heritage Fund, the project will work with a specialist in medieval wall coverings who will train 30 volunteers and three artists in the history, significance and general care of the paintings. This will broaden the experience of our volunteers and encourage a new, wider audience. The project will also provide over 120 opportunities for local community members to train, learn new skills and participate in various workshops. From creative techniques to catering skills. An element of this project will also look at the carbon footprint of The Folk and how to manage our environmental impact.
The Gloucester Civic Trust recently took on the lease of The Folk of Gloucester with the aim to create a community heritage centre for Gloucester. This historic building was once the folk museum and many have fond memories of this venue. By re-opening the building, creating workshops and hosting training, more memories will be created, taking The Folk of Gloucester into the next generation, led by the community.
Martyn White, Chair of Gloucester Civic Trust said: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players and are confident the project will set us on course for an exciting future. We have carried out huge amounts of research into the buildings’ past. This grant will help us identify how best to show them off and how to use the rooms creatively as we develop our community heritage centre. The recently revealed wall paintings were a complete surprise but an exciting find. Their presence and the research funded by this grant will greatly enhance our knowledge of the status of our magnificent buildings.”
