Author: Duncan Wright

Chair of the Glossop Creative Trust. I live in Glossop with my wife Janet, For my day job, I run BSA Marketing, a marketing company based in the Glossop Gasworks building on Arundel Street. In my spare time, I love walking and cycling in the beautiful countryside around Glossop, eating out and catching gigs in some of the great pubs in the town. I was also heavily involved (with fellow board members Jay Beard and Steve Massey) in organising the Bankswood and Town Hall Sessions Music Festivals. All in all, I think Glossop is a great town and, through the work of the Glossop Creative Trust, would like to see it put on the map in terms of Arts & Music and Creative industries.

Working closely with HPBC for Glossop’s Creative Future

Posted on by Duncan Wright

Before the world changed on 23rd March 2020, The Glossop Creative Trust, through the Glossop Creates movement, had started to build momentum around developing a name for the town as a hotbed of culture & creativity. With much focus on the Food Beverage and Hospitality industries, and with plans to start regular food and drink events through June, July and August, it was set to be an exciting summer.

But then in mid March, the national lockdown caused the country to hit pause, all our plans had to be put on hold and the burgeoning hospitality businesses in the town with whom we were building relationships were thrown into chaos.

But non of that is new. So what of the future?

Working behind the scenes

Whilst we have had to delay our front line activities, we have not been idle. Working behind the scenes, we have cemented our already positive relationship with the High Peak Borough Council (HPBC), who we recognised would be key to bringing our vision to reality.

As a result we have now signed a 5 year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), meaning that we are now recognised by the Local Authority as “the community strategic lead organisation for the development of Glossop as a creative hub” and furthermore now have an agreement to share resources and information as we develop a common strategy for developing the creative industries with the area.

In addition to the MOU, we are also working on converting the Glossop Creative Trust into a Community Interest Company (CIC) to better reflect our objectives in the town, but more of that in a future post, so watch this space!

Resources to Build the Partnership

Along side the MOU, the partnership brings resources, with HPBC also awarding the Trust a grant of £15,000 to start to put plans into action. Resources which will in part, be used to secure the professional services of Claire Tymon. A resident of Hadfield, Claire has a great track record of delivering the type of project we are building in Glossop and brings with her some first class contacts like world renowned designer Wayne Hemingway, with whom Claire has worked on previous projects.

Claire has some great ideas and works on the project with a passion that only a local could exhibit. Having engaged consultants on this type of project in the past, working with Claire is a pleasure. She is in a class of her own. Furthermore, I fully expect that we will be able to use Claire’s ideas & skills to deliver further investment into the town helping us to bring our vision to a reality.

Big plans for the future

These are exciting times for towns like Glossop, which recently received a rave review as a foodie hub in the Manchester Evening News, though I am not sure about the “Sleepy Town” epithet! And which this month has received an in principal agreement by the D2N2 LEP to invest over £2m to the redevelopment of the Town Hall complex in line with our vision.  Our hope is that our work with HPBC over the next few weeks to finalise the business case, will secure this funding for the town.

There has also been a shift in working practices, driven by the fact that we have all had to change the way we work over the last few months. A shift which means that people are working more flexibly, with a desire to work closer to home rather than endure the daily commute into Manchester.

Together these come together to offer significant opportunities for the town.

As Thom Hetherington, Glossop’s resident foodie succinctly put it

“I think this is a rare situation where the wind of government priorities and societal changes are all blowing strongly in Glossop’s direction, and we have one chance to crystallise that, locking it in for a generation or more.”

These may be challenging times, but as the dust settles I think Glossop will come out stronger and has a bright future.

If you want to keep up to speed on our activities, or want to get involved, you can do so here.

 

We need your input

Posted on by Duncan Wright

Glossop Creative Trust has recently secured a 5-year agreement with High Peak Borough Council to work in partnership on the future development opportunities for the town and neighbouring areas.

As part of our ambition to develop a creative and holistic approach to placemaking for the town, and support the sector at this challenging time, we are researching the types and needs of individuals and businesses operating in the creative, digital and cultural sector who work and/or live in Glossop.

Our research takes in a 6 mile radius of the town centre including neighbouring villages and towns – Hayfield, Broadbottom, Mottram, Stalybridge and Tintwistle.

We would really appreciate it if you can spare 20 minutes to complete our survey to help inform our future work and priorities.

 

Click here to complete the survey

The deadline for completing the survey is Monday 31st August.

The Glossopdale Trust is dead, long Live the Glossop Creative Trust!

Posted on by Duncan Wright

Over the past ten years, The Glossopdale Trust has worked to create an environment where the community is working with public and third sector partners like High Peak Bourough Council and Big Lottery, to support and develop the creative scene in the town and make it a better place to live work and enjoy.

Over this time, we have driven some great initiatives like the Bankswood and Town Hall Sessions Festivals and Art in the Window, and championed the development of the Town Hall, Market and Municipal Buildings into an asset for the town, driven by the community.

But over the last twelve months it became clear that the Trust as it stood was no longer quite the right vehicle to take this ambition. Focused more on doing than supporting and developing. We recognised that we needed to shift our focus to a more strategic role, working with businesses, groups and individuals within the town to deliver our goals, rather than aiming to deliver them in isolation.

Through the process of  this “review” we recognised the need to strengthen relationships and create better ownership from across the community. As a result, we decided it was time to restructure and re-brand.

The end result is that:

  1. The name has changed from The Glossopdale Trust to The Glossop Creative Trust to better reflect our focus on the creative communities & industries – but more of that in a future posts.
  2. We have restructured, bringing some great new talent onto the board of the Trust. A restructure that has significantly improved connections with other groups across the town  including, The Victoria Arts Centre Project, Glossop Music Festival, Dark peak Music, Glossop Arts Project to name a few. We have also retained many of the exiting members, still passionate and committed to the work of the Trust. You will find details of the full board here
  3. We are re-branding to better reflect the new focus of the Trust and its new board. This website is the first part of this new brand. A brand that will develop and grow over the coming months.
  4. We have identified three core strands to our strategy “Nurturing Creativity”, “Transforming Spaces” and “Inviting Ideas”. These will be central to our focus going froward.

“Whilst the Glossopdale Trust created the foundations for enhancing Glossop and its creative community I believe the new structure and focus created by the re-branding is necessary, and places us perfectly to move forward.” Comments Duncan Wright, Founder & Chair of the Glossopdale Trust. “What’s more, I am excited to work with the new board, and to continue as Chair of the Glossop Creative Trust going forward. These are exciting times for both the Trust and for the town.”

If you would like to know more about the ambitions of the Trust, and keep updated as we move forward, then get involved either as a supporter or member. We would love to hear from you.

HLF The Next Step

Posted on by Duncan Wright

We have now had the initial feedback from the HLF regarding the bid for funding to support the Halls Project, and whilst on this occasion the bid has been unsuccessful this is far from the end of the project.

Whilst the HLF funding has not been approved at this stage, initial feedback has been broadly positive, suggesting a desire to find ways to move the project forward. To this end we have a meeting with the HLF team in order to hear their feedback first hand, and discuss ways to take the project forward.

It is clear from the feedback, that there is still some work to do in developing the project. Specificly around a more detailed plan regarding  the management of  the halls once the redevelopment is complete, and in developing the heritage aspects of the project.

Furthermore, the feedback suggested the need to demonstrate the community’s backing for the project. Whilst we firmly believe that this backing exists, we clearly need to do more to demonstrate this is the case.

With this in mind, we will be developing new initiatives over the coming months to allow people to get involved. In the meantime, one way you can do this now is to sign up as a supporter or member of The Glossopdale Trust. Not only will this demonstrate your support, but it will also allow you to keep up to date with what is happening on the project and other Glossopdale Trust activities.

What’s it all about?

Posted on by Duncan Wright

It’s been a while since the last update and there have been a few things happening recently that have made me ask myself a question:

Why do we do this?

In particular,  two things have got me thinking:

  1. The recent Town Hall Sessions Festival
  2. Our bid to the HLF for funding for the Halls Project

The fact is, both of these things are big projects/events in themselves and it is easy to get drawn into the idea that the project/event is the objective. I think, by taking this view, we are not seeing the big picture and risk missing great opportunities.

I was watching the Lottery Awards recently and the winner of the arts award was “The Man Engine” – www.themanengine.org.uk.  Creatively it was fantastic (though it’s a terrible website IMHO!), and reportedly it had been a big hit, drawing crowds wherever it went. On one level that is great, but the danger is that unless it is used as a catalyst for more sustainable change and development it is ultimately pointless.

Looking closer to home, to the festivals we have organised in the area (Bankswood and The Town Hall Sessions), the general feedback is that we put on a good show, everybody has a great time and the feedback is (almost) universally very positive. However, this is just one weekend and is driven by a small group of people.  Ultimately, unless it evolves as part of something bigger, it will wither and die.

Likewise, the Halls Project and the bid to gain investment in this building via the HLF. Again, unless the resulting building is being used sustainably as the centre of the arts/music scene in the town, drawing people to the area and supporting the wider economy, it will become a white elephant and we will have achieved nothing.

In other words, we only deliver real success if these projects/events are a catalyst to drive sustainable change and development in the town.

So why do we do it

We do it because we want the festivals and the Halls Project to be a catalyst for change and, as is stated on the front page of this website:

“To support the economic development of Glossop
through the promotion of music and the arts”

We want our events/projects to drive this wider objective rather than to be ends in themselves.

The value of education

As an example, let’s look at one aspect of Bankswood/Townhall Sessions Festivals which is the involvement of Live Sound students on the technical team.

Feedback from the students suggests that their involvement is of huge value for them, and makes them more employable when their course finishes. We also know that students have gained employment directly off the back of their involvement in the festivals. In these days when education (and getting a degree) is seen as the objective, what we try to do is to remember that education is about developing skills that will be useful and profitable in future life. This is much more important than the piece of paper you receive on graduation day.

Through the festivals, and our wider activities like the Halls Project, one of our aims is to broaden opportunities of this real-world experience for people starting out in their chosen careers.

Looking forward to the day when this project comes to fruition, hopefully with the support of grant funding bodies like the HLF and Arts Council, the vision is to use the facilities within the complex – music venue, creative and retail space, catering space and restaurants – to give opportunities for those just starting out on their careers to cut their teeth in the real world, alongside established and successful businesses; businesses which, by being part of it, help make the whole initiative sustainable without the need to become beholden to stakeholders whose primary interest is financial return. This is not however pure altruism, the belief is that through their involvement, as they develop their ideas and skills they will also make Glossop a more vibrant and interesting place to live and work.

More than a vision – Reality

At Bankswood we have already created an environment where bands and members of the technical team playing their first “proper” gig, are on the same stage as performers and sound engineers who have experience at major national and international festivals like Glastonbury. Our aim is to use the projects going forward to expand and broaden these opportunities.

In a world where three years’ higher education comes with a big price tag, or where apprenticeships can be seen as “cheap labour”, our aim is to create situations where, for students paying this price (whether financially or in reduced short-term earnings), it is a real investment in their future earning potential not simply a number of years spent gaining a qualification.

Moreover, education is just one example. By creating a supportive creative environment, we aim to encourage people to give things a go and try out their ideas. Whilst some of these will fail, many will not, and the process of trying them out will hopefully make Glossop a better place to live and work and thus help the town thrive.

So when you are enjoying one of the festivals/gigs that we put on, or are thinking about how wonderful it would be if we could create a live music venue in the Town Hall, spare a thought for the real objective – to help make the town a place where creativity has a place to thrive and grow.

New Partnership for the Halls

Posted on by Duncan Wright

Our vision for the Glossop halls is that they become a key asset for the town, driving economic development and owned by the community.

This vision came a step closer to reality in recent months with the formal signing of a partnership agreement, creating a body, which we see will ultimately manage the halls complex into the future.

This partnership is between 4 organisations:

  • High Peak Borough Council
  • The Glossopdale Trust
  • The Bureau (formerly the Volunteer Bureau)
  • The Heritage Trust

Going forward, we believe that the priorities of the partners (Heritage, Community and Local government) will create the perfect platform for the project.

The priority of the partnership at the moment is managing the process of identifying & applying for appropriate funding to make the project a reality.

Currently, the focus of this activity is on an HLF bid to support the project, whatever the outcome of this bid, we believe we have a strategy to take the project forward; but more of that in the future.

Winter 2016 Newsletter

Posted on by Duncan Wright

As 2016 draws to a close we would like to thank you all for your support, and look forward to some exciting times in 2017.

This year a major milestone was reached regarding the Halls Project; we saw the start of the fundraising process with the submission of the formal introduction of the project to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). This led to a very positive meeting with representatives from the regional committee to discuss how to take the project forward. On the back of this meeting, we have taken the decision to move the bid from a regional to a national application, allowing us to expand the remit due to the potential increased level of funding available. Whilst competition will also increase, we are confident that the project will stand up well at the national level.

Looking forward to 2017, we are anticipating the completion of the creative strategy work in the first quarter of the year, and the intention to submit the first round HLF bid by the end of the year. This will be another step closer to realising the rejuvenation of the public halls in the town centre.

Other notable developments in 2016 have been:

  • Increased interest with HPBC in the creative industries, and their potential to enhance the economy of the town. This has resulted in the commissioning of a report into their potential and the creation of a strategy for developing the creative industries in Glossop.
  • The gathering of momentum for the plan to develop Victoria Hall as the Victoria Arts Centre. Whilst we are not directly involved in this initiative, it fits well with plans for the Town Hall, and we watch its progress with interest.
  • The relaunch of a new look whatsoninglossop.com website, which continues to be the number one events listing in the town. A particular thank you to the editor, Paul Beaumont, for his continued and significant input into the site.

Couple all the above with the very successful sixth Bankswood Festival (which, despite poor weather on the Saturday, saw the best attendance ever – you will find pictures of the event on the www.bankswoodmusic.com website) and further growth in the number of both artists and retailers involved in August’s Art in the Window event, there is no doubt that there is much potential for creativity in the town.

Although we have no direct influence in the following, it’s also great to acknowledge arts and music related activities associated with The Hadfield Art Show, Glossop Music Festival, Glossopera and The Partington Players and one can’t fail to recognize the revitalisation of the live music scene around the town with regular gigs at a growing  number of pubs and clubs – The Globe, The Oakwood, The Commercial and The Queens in Old Glossop, Glossop Labour Club, The Folk Train and The Cellar Bar sessions at the Badger Gallery in Padfield, to name a few. The creative scene in Glossopdale is definitely on the ascendancy! We expect this potential to continue to be developed in the coming year.

Whilst the Halls Project has always been a long term plan (one that it is now in its fifth year of development), I get the sense that things are gathering pace and expect the new year to be an exciting one.

Finally, although 2017 will be a fallow year for the music festival in Bankswood Park, we will be pouring resources into creating a new festival in the town centre, with bands performing in front of the Town Hall. What better incentive could there be to demonstrate the urgent need to develop this iconic building into a premier event venue, which will enhance the commercial and artistic growth of our town? Whilst still very much in the ‘ideas’ phase, we expect plans to start taking shape over the next couple of months… so watch the website.

 

Funding Secured for Bankswood 2016

Posted on by Duncan Wright

2016_fundersWe are delighted to announce that once again we have managed to secure the funding allowing us to continue our charging model for the festival, asking for donations rather than formally ticketing the event.

The funding, which has come from a variety of sources including, The Big Lottery Fund, Derbyshire County Council, and commercial sponsorship along side funds secured from last years festival, mean that the budget for Bankswood 16 will again be up on last year.

Families will be at the core of the Festival

Earlier in the year, we carried out some research into what people want from the Festival, and what has become clear is that Families need to be at the centre.

In 2015, we focused on the Music, and all the feedback we received suggested that that paid dividends. In 2016 the focus will be developing the Family aspects of the festival.

We are also keen to allow people to get involved with the running of the festival, and to gain experience through the event. Anyone interested in volunteering at the festival,  can find out more on The Bankswood Festival Website

You can keep in touch with whats going on at Bankswood 16 via the website 

Alternatively, if you have any ideas or would like to get involved, we would live to hear from you

 

 

Summer Newsletter 2015

Posted on by Duncan Wright

Scarily it has been well over 6 months since our last newsletter, so apologies for the gap, I will make sure I do better in future.

Part of the reason for the delay is that there has been a lot going on, with significant developments in a number of areas.

I will start with the Halls project:

Halls Project

It’s a standing joke with a couple of you, that when I bump into you in the street, and am asked “how are you getting on with the Halls project”. The answer is “It’s moving forward”, and the fact is that is is “Moving forward”, True the speed of movement is more akin to a glacier than a racing car, but the fact is that is moving!

As I said in the last newsletter, It is a large and complex project that can not be rushed. Furthermore, we see it as part of a much larger project around developing the Arts and Music scene in the town.

The halls project will move at its own pace. Our job in the meantime is to work towards the goal of developing Arts & Music within the town. This brings me on to the other projects.

Art in the Window

Following a break in 2015, Art in the Window is back this year thanks to our association with the Glossop Arts Project (www.glossopartsproject.org), with a shared desire to make Art accessible to all, GAP have this year taken on the task of managing Art in the Window. As previously the event is taking place in and around Glossop High Street during the month of August. If you are interested to find out more, you can contact GAP via twitter (@glossoparts), Facebook (GlossopArtsProject) or their website. In the meantime, enjoy some of the great art on display around the town.

Bankswood Inspire Festival

It’s exciting times for the Music festival, which this year takes place on the August bank Holiday weekend (29/30 Aug). Thanks to having secured a grant from the Big Lottery Awards for All fund, Bankswood Inspire will be bigger and better than ever.

On one level the festival is about providing an opportunity for up and coming bands and engineers to experience working on a professional stage, with a professional PA system. The Upgraded stage and PA that the funding has allowed us to bring in mean that the experience they get will be that much closer to that of a big festival.

It  also that means that this year we have been able to put more resources into attracting the best breaking bands in the region get to hear the breaking bands from the North West as they would hear the top bands playing at top festivals this summer.

The result is that through the festival we are bringing great music to the town, whilst at the same time supporting those starting out in the Music industry careers. So Put the date in your diary, and either come along and help out, or simple come and enjoy the festival. If you would like to help outy at the festival, get in touch via the website, we would live to hear from you.

Glossop at Christmas

2014 also saw the Glossopdale Trust get involve in the Christmas festivities in the town. Our involvement was at 2 levels. Firstly, we organisied 2 great events of our own (Community Carols in Norfolk Square and the In Yer face production of All is Calm in Old Glossop), and secondly we worked with other organisations (Totally Locally Glossop & Bare Necessities food bank) to bring a fortnight of coordinated events including Winterfest and the Old Glossop Victorian market.

Coming back to our own events, the Norfolk Square community carols saw children from many of the towns schools coming together to ivck of the event with carols performed by their choirs, followed by Community Carols led by The Glossopdale band and Claire Sturman form Glossoppera.

The second event put on by The Glossopdale Trust was a performace of All is calm, a commemoration of the WW1 Christmas Truce that saw Soliders from the English and German trenches coming together to play football and exchange gifts during a brief cessation of hostilities on Dec 25 1914. The production, which was in the middle of a tour of the region, including a performance at the Imperial War Museum North, played to a packed house at Glossop Parish Church.

We are planning to get involved with the festivities again this year, with a repeat of the Carols in Norfolk square, so please get in touch if you would like to be involved. You can keep informed via Twitter (@glossopdaletrst) and the website, as plans develop.

On a final note

On a final note, it is really encouraging to see other organisations start to emerge with the same goals as ours (to promote the great Arts/Music going on in the Town). We are already partnering up with some of them (eg Glossop Arts Project with Art in the Window), and Glossopera for the 2014 Christmas Celebrations, and are in close contact with the organisers of the fantastic Glossop Music Festival with a view to collaborating more closely in the future. But we are keen to extend these partnerships to other groups, so if you are involved in a group dedicated to promoting developing Arts & Music in the Town, we would love to hear from you.

Jay Beard – “He’s a Sound Guy” – From the World Spotlight to the Local Stage.

Posted on by Duncan Wright

“Will you remember us when you’re rich and famous?” It’s a question asked of many a musician as they start to get recognition, and in the case of the members of Manchester Band Elbow the answer is a definitive Yes.

elbow2The point was proved recently when they asked their longtime friend Jay Beard (who was their sound engineer as they rose to fame) to step in and engineer two gigs on their current European Festival tour.

Glossopdale Trust Director & resident live sound expert Jay, who lives in Hadfield, Derbyshire with his family, has built his career in sound engineering, and is now training the engineers of the future in his role as Head of Live Sound at SSR in Manchester.

“Sound engineering is a practical skill, and whilst technical skills can be taught in the classroom, these need to be honed in the real world. That’s why SSR put such emphasis on links with the wider industry” explained Jay

Talking to Jay, it’s clear that he believes that these links need to go in many directions.  For him stepping out of the classroom and onto the live stage at top festivals with band like Elbow, demonstrates his expertise, and allows him to maintain his skills at the top of his game. But it’s also vital to give the stars of the future (both bands and engineers) a chance to develop their craft in the real world.

It’s for this reason that Jay got involved with The Bankswood Inspire Festival in his home town of Hadfield.

“Bankswood Inspire is all about the music” explains Jay “On one level the festival is about providing an opportunity for up and coming bands and engineers to experience working on a professional stage, with a professional PA system. For festival goers that means they get to hear the breaking bands from the North West as they would hear the top bands playing at top festivals this summer. It’s a win/win situation”

Bankswood Inspire was started in 2010, when Jay got together with other local music enthusiasts with the aim to create a top community festival that showcases the best North West talent.

elbow“Although I love the buzz of being involved with Elbow at their big festival gigs, seeing the next generation of engineers making new bands sound great as they  take the first steps in their careers together, excites me just as much” explains Jay.” I was there at that early stage in Elbow’s career, and my expectation is that bands playing Bankswood in 2015 will the headliners at big the European Festivals of the future”

In 2015, with the support on the National Lottery, Bankswood Inspire is going from strength to strength. With a new stage, upgraded PA system and some of the best “tipped for the top” bands in the region, Bankswood Park Hadfield will be the place to be for music lovers on 29/30 August.

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