Our second cohort for the Corby Heritage Accelerator programme has been recruited and all are busy formulating their research and development focus for the coming months.
Suzanne Oliver, Heritage Projects and Partnerships Officer, said: “It has been fascinating learning about our new practitioners, their backgrounds and interest in Corby’s heritage. Again, they are from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, and all have so much to offer both Corby and wider throughout the county.”
Over the next ten months, the four participants will explore new avenues of their practice through co-working, attending workshops with leading professionals in the Heritage sector, facilitate consultation with key groups within Corby’s community and pilot outreach ideas. Each will receive tailored support in developing and submitting bids for their projects.
Atlas Easton
Atlas is a queer illustrator, comic artist, and activist whose work focuses on LGBTQ+ rights and community. They have created illustrations for a variety of local, national, and international groups such as Happy Hood, West Northants Council, Sassify, Gender Reveal Podcast, and size?
They work with Q Space, a completely volunteer run community organisation which aims to support LGBTQ+ people in Northamptonshire in mind, body, and spirit. In this role they can be found running a youth group, training businesses and public services about LGBTQ+ identities, and engaging in events within the community.
“Along with Q Space I am really interested in discovering and preserving local LGBTQ+ history. As part of Corby Heritage Accelerator we want to work to create an archive which is as accessible as possible so that local LGBTQ+ people know that they have always existed in Northamptonshire and they always will.”
Becky Carrier FRSA
Becky is Director of Northampton Film Festival, a creative industry and placemaking social enterprise which runs an annual festival and year-round creative industry events alongside producing community-based films and creative projects, all of which aim to consolidate Northamptonshire’s identity as a county of Rebels and Revolutionaries, Misfits and Mavericks, Creative and Changemakers.
Becky was a founder director of the award-winning community group The Movie Hub in Weston Favell Shopping Centre, which connected young people with their local area through film-related activity while building work and life skills. She was also one of the founder directors of social enterprise film company Screen Northants, and with them produced the BBC Children in Need-backed feature films ‘Macbeth’, ‘Nene’ and ‘Fortune Cookies’ as well as three television dramas and award-winning short films, working regularly with local young people and disadvantaged groups.
“I am very excited to be on the Heritage Accelerator programme, to develop the heritage side of my work. I am hugely passionate about Northamptonshire, its stories, and its place on a world stage past, present and future. I’m also excited to do more work in Corby. While we’ve always worked county-wide, this opportunity will really help me get to understand the community and stories of Corby better, and I look forward to celebrating its unique spirit and also what unites the whole county.”
You can find out more about Becky’s work with Northampton Film Festival
Courtenay Johnson
Courtenay is a cultural producer developing community-led multi-arts and heritage projects locally as well as developing new theatre productions and live experiences that tour locally, nationally and internationally.
“I’m excited to be joining the Heritage Accelerator programme to really focus on developing more ambitious projects that utilise my multi-arts practice to communicate heritage to a wider range of people. My work prioritises inclusivity and access as well as amplifying underrepresented stories and perspectives; it would be super to do this at a bigger, more ambitious scale to share and celebrate with more people.”
You can find out more about Courtenay’s work with Carbon Theatre
Lucy Knight
Lucy is a Dance Artist, Creative Facilitator and Producer working at the intersection of arts and health who is passionate about the transformative power creativity can have on people’s health, wellbeing, and quality of life.
Lucy is also founder of Northamptonshire based company Barefooted who create performances and participatory projects, alongside wonderful diverse communities. Through dance, music, and the wider creative arts, Barefooted weave brilliant joyful moments, share stories and connect communities, with wellbeing at the heart of the work. Barefooted can be found delivering projects for ages in community centres, hospitals, schools, theatres and often outside in nature, to experience and explore human connection to the land.
“My creative practice is deeply informed and inspired by principles of community engagement and co-creation. I want to ensure all voices of communities are heard, as I believe giving space for people to share their stories breaks down barriers, connects communities emotionally, and celebrates our differences as human beings.
“I am very excited to be part of Heritage Accelerator through which I hope to provide opportunities for Corby’s communities to connect with their surroundings and develop a deeper sense of place and belonging, enriching the cultural fabric of Corby with a multitude of perspectives.”
Find out more about Lucy’s work with Barefooted