Charnwood Arts is 50!

Happy Birthday to US!

When you look back at 50 years, you realise Charnwood Arts has never been only about making art. It’s been about building community. It’s the friendships formed in a weekly session, the pride of seeing your work displayed in our little exhibition space, hearing yourself reading your own written podcast, making music from sounds found in the forest to help with anxiety, and attending the successful Breathe Create sessions set up specifically to use creativity to improve wellbeing and much much more…..

Click HERE for more information about our celebrations

  • Record Heatwave & Drought – The UK saw its hottest summer of the 20th century, with temperatures hitting 35.9°C; widespread drought led to hosepipe bans and standpipes in streets.

  • James Callaghan becomes Prime Minister took over from Harold Wilson in April, becoming Labour leader and the UK’s new PM.

  • Punk breaks through The Sex Pistols’ notorious TV interview and early gigs kickstarted the UK punk movement, shaking up music and culture.

  • Concorde enters full service The world’s first supersonic passenger jet began regular commercial flights from London Heathrow to Bahrain and Washington DC.

  • Charnwood Arts was born!

    1976

Bells Bridges and Belonging is Launched

We had a wonderful afternoon in June celebrating Our recent Bells Bridges and Belonging heritage installation which has been a highlight of the year so far and helped us kick off the start of the planned 50th celebrations across a 12-month period.

Bells, Bridges & Belonging is a creative heritage project led by Charnwood Arts in partnership with One to One Development Trust and hosted at Taylors Bell Foundry Museum, celebrating Loughborough and Charnwood’s unique history, culture, and community identity.

Click HERE for more information about our Bell Festivals

BIG, EXCITING NEWS!

We’re absolutely thrilled to share that Charnwood Arts’ Arts Council funding has been extended for a FIFTH YEAR running right through until March 2028!

A huge thank you to Arts Council England for this continued support and for believing in our work and our programme.

This means we can keep nurturing creativity across Charnwood and beyond, bringing more opportunities in visual arts, crafts, music, multimedia and literature to people of all backgrounds. We can’t wait to keep creating, connecting and inspiring with you all!