Activities
Developing BME artists and organisations
The project will help capacity building for BME organisations involved in arts and heritage, linked to their unique needs, shared difficulties and required areas of support.
It will act as a focal point in identifying funders and changing funding patterns. The ECDP will offer seminars, guidance and advice on sources of funding and criteria, and provide tailored help to BME groups in developing funding applications for both existing and new initiatives.
The project will enable access to training and organisation development support for artists, project coordinators, and BME organisations based on a joint assessment of development needs.
It will enable contact between BME artists and mainstream arts and heritage organisations by helping them develop strategies to reach out and involve BME artists and organisation, and facilitate the development of collaborative partnerships between them.
The ECDP will work closely with BME community groups interested in arts and heritage led development to assist them in creating a long term fundraising strategy. At the same time, it will assist them in the development of small arts or heritage projects that can be viewed by the wider public and stakeholders.
Monitoring and evaluation
The ECDP will create a database of individuals, organisations, initiatives, funding, research, and good practice in relation to cultural diversity projects both in Essex and further afield. The database will build on existing information gathered in the feasibility study and provide supplementary information and research on an ongoing basis.
It will establish a current baseline of activity and map ongoing development of cultural diversity initiatives in order to assist with the evaluation of progress and improvement as a result of the ECDP support.
Awareness raising
The ECDP will help build bridges and effective links with BME communities, as well as enable the development of greater understanding and awareness of these communities and their needs amongst mainstream cultural sector organisations.
The project will promote its aims and work through a series of marketing activities, as well as undertake and encourage the creation of a wide range of awareness raising opportunities through events, performances, seminars, training programmes and ongoing network meeting
The project will work with two BME community groups on arts/heritage projects and help them showcase these to the cultural community and wider public.
The ECDP will organize a high profile end of year dissemination event to bring together all key stakeholders to review and celebrate the achievements of the project, as well as make its work known to a wider audience.