General
Published: May 30, 2023 | Updated: 27th October 2023
Expert funders share tips with Portsmouth charities at We Connect
Cultural and creative organisations and individuals gathered at Portsmouth’s first We Connect conference last Monday to learn from experts about securing national funding.
The all-day event was free to attend for the 200 delegates, who descended on Portsmouth Historic Dockyard alongside experts from the British Film Institute, Historic England, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Speakers at the conference were keen to emphasise the importance of diversity and accessibility in the arts, as well as preserving heritage for future generations.
This was a sentiment echoed by Phil Gibby of Arts Council England, who called for more diversity-related projects to step forward, as well as Neil Ramjee of Film Hub South West, who highlighted efforts by the BFI to fund and promote independent films and spread them beyond the big cities.
The day also saw presentations from projects like Hampshire youth charity Motiv8, High Street Heritage Action Zones, and Downtown Pompey, the latter of which being represented by queer artist and conference host The Fabulous Josh.
We Connect was put together by Portsmouth Creates, an independent organisation supporting collective sector growth in the creative and cultural industries.
Gemma Nichols, CEO of Portsmouth Creates, said: “The conference was a great success and we heard from many organisations that were able to make valuable connections and learn more about how to access funding.
“We want to build capacity of organisations and individuals so that they can continue to grow, but we also want o champion the need for greater investment across the city.”
Metis Homes teams up with Fordingbridge school on time capsule project
Pupils and staff at The Burgate School in Fordingbridge have joined forces with Metis Homes to bury a time capsule at the Hampshire housebuilder’s new Forest Edge development.
Following plenty of creative suggestions, the items chosen for the capsule included:
Staff and students from The Burgate School with David Oakley and Jolene Bull of Metis Homes, right
Headteacher David Pover joined Year Eight pupils for the final send-off, as the time capsule was buried more than a metre underground.
He said: “Projects like this are a fantastic way for our whole school community to unite and think about what aspects of life in the present day would be of interest to future generations.
“It was also a great experience to come to the Forest Edge development site to bury the time capsule, with pupils getting stuck in with relaying topsoil.”
Forest Edge represents a £21.5 million project for Metis Homes, where work is currently underway to build 63 premium new homes around Fordingbridge.
David added: “Seeing a busy development site in action and quizzing the Metis Homes team has even inspired some of the children to think about a career in construction.
“I am grateful to Metis Homes for working with us on this opportunity, and also for contributing funds to redecorate our sixth form history classroom.”
More than 40 per cent of the homes in Forest Edge have now been sold off plan, with a range of two-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom detached family homes currently available and due for completion this autumn.
David Oakley, Sales and Marketing Director for Metis Homes, said: “It is a pleasure to work with the local school in this collaborative way.
“We are so pleased with the thoughtful and considered way the students conducted themselves on site and engaged with us.
“Having the time capsule buried here creates a fascinating story that can be re-told to future generations.”
Museum exhibition looks back to visions of motoring’s future
The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu has launched a new exhibition which takes a look at future visions of motoring from the past.
The new ‘Motopia? Past Future Visions’ exhibition reverses the clock and drives back through 130 years of thinking about what motoring might look like in the future.
At a private preview, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu spoke of his grandfather John, Lord Montagu, describing him as a visionary who predicted many of motoring’s developments and the resulting changes to society.
He shared a number of quotes from his grandfather, including: “That the motor-car has come to stay is a commonplace but few can foresee what a change it will make in our economic, political and social life.
“I believe that the revolution worked by railways is a small thing compared with the revolution to be produced by the motor-car.” (1902)
The exhibition is sponsored by Select Car Leasing. Ben Taylor, Head of Brand & Marketing at
the company, spoke of their pride at being associated with the exhibition at a time when vehicle leasing industry is currently undergoing a radical transition into electric mobility.
Ben Swann, the National Motor Museum’s Head of Learning, described how the idea for the exhibition emerged from an ambition to explore and interpret how radical motoring concepts from the past, that remain relevant today, have influenced today what we ride and drive, the nature of our towns and cities, the way we work, shop and socialise.
On display are concept cars, visions of the future from the start of the 20th century and previous ideas on how we travel and power our vehicles, with the aim of inspiring visitors to consider future ideas for an ideal way of living and getting about.
The exhibition will have four key themes; vehicle visions will look at car design concepts, propulsion asking how our vehicles are powered – particularly timely when there is a resurgence of electric vehicles, architectural dreams which will include science fiction visions, and urban solutions showing how vehicles have constantly been re-imagined to suit our needs and surroundings.
A pop-up family event, ‘Motopia? Are we nearly there yet’ will be at the museum during the half-term holiday, from 29 May to 2 June, with activities and demonstrations related to the future of motoring.
Admission to the Motopia exhibition is included in a ticket to the Beaulieu National Motor Museum.
