Category: Newsletter Archive

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.

 

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.

There has been quite a lot happening over the back end of the summer with Art In The Window running throughout August, The Bankswood Music Festival at the end of August, and continued discussions with HPBC regrading the public halls in the centre of a Glossop.

 Art in the Window

In its second year, the Art in the window event was bigger than last year with around 50 independent retailers in Glossop and Hadfield taking part, all paired up with some of the fantastic artistic talent form across the area.

Again the event was hailed a success by the shops taking part, with feedback suggesting that people had travelled to Glossopdale specifically for the event.

Plans are already in hand for 2014.

Bankswood Music Festival

Bankswood 2013 took place on the last weekend of August. This year the festival was organized in partnership between ourselves and the Glossop & Hyde district Round Table.

The weekend which saw 13 bands on 2 stages across the weekend, kicked off on Saturday morning with a soapbox race organized by the Round Table. Despite the unkind weather (especially on Sunday when the hot summer seemed a distant memory) the event was a success raising over £1500 which will go towards the running of Bankswood 2014.

These two events are now staring to become established in the local calendar, and we look forward to running them both again next year.

Bankswood Music were also on stage again at the Manor Park Bonfire, with Tony Auton and Jake Evans entertaining the crowds, and accompanying the fireworks, again ably supported by the Students from SSR in Manchester.

Glossop Halls

The other project that has been building momentum over the summer is in connection the Glossop Halls.

For those who are not aware, our objective is to work with the council with the aim of creating an opportunity to take the Halls in the centre of Glossop (Town Hall, Market Hall/Market Arcade and the Municipal buildings) into community ownership.

Although this stalled slightly over the summer with HPBC taking time to write their asset transfer policy, this is now in place, and has been passed by the council. We are now in regular contact with the council with the hope that the project will build pace over the coming months.

The Next Few Months

Over the next few months you can expect to see more of us across the town. We have already made our first foray into the big wide world with a stand in the rain at the Manor Park Bonfire, and you will find us in the Market Arcade at the Holly and Ivy Festival on 30th November, so feel free to come along to find out more about The Glossopdale Trust, and what we are up to.

We are also planning our AGM for 11th December, at Glossop Gasworks on Arundel Street Glossop. Look forward to seeing you there.

 

First of all, can I thank you for taking an interest in the Glossopdale Trust & supporting what we are trying to do.

The Glossopdale Trust was set up as a community organisation and as such you, our members are most important to us. Thus ensuring that you know what we are doing is essential.

As part of this process going forward, rather than invite all members to board meeting (which was becoming impractical)  we will be producing a summary of the Trusts activities on a quarterly basis in the form of a Newsletter, the first of which is attached. These will outline any key decisions & activities undertaken by the Glossopdale Trust, and will aim to keep you informed of what we are up to. We will also publish these newsletters on our website (www.glossopdaletust.org) and welcome comments either on-line or via email to info@glossopdaletrust.org.

In addition to this, we will also aim to hold an AGM on an annual basis (as set out in our articles of association) to which all members & supporters will be invited.

Trough these mechanisms, we aim to ensure that you our supporters are kept fully informed as to our activities, and have the mechanisms to make comment and influence the decisions/directions that we take.

We hope you find the newsletter interesting and look forward to your comments.

Summer Newsletter 2013

SIB Application
The Board approved the draft tabled at the meeting held on 5^th June 2013 and agreed this should be sent to Anton Schultz of Locality, requesting help with questions 7 and 8. It was also agreed to give a copy of this final draft to the council, who had asked for a progress undated.

Council Matters

Community Voice
This event had been organised by the council to talk to local groups about what is going on in the town. D Wright suggested Glossopdale Trust ought to be represented and possibly make some kind of presentation. Several agreed to attend at 6.30pm on 24 June in Bradbury House.

Meeting with HPBC
Dai Larner, who is Director responsible for regeneration, wanted to meet the Directors of Glossopdale Trust. D Wright invited representatives from the council to the Gasworks at 6.30pm on Wednesday 3 July and they had refreshments with the Directors before the July Board Meeting that day.

Bankswood Music Festival
Glossopdale Trust are now working with Glossop Round Table to organise the 2013 Bankswood Music Festival. Taking place on 31^st Aug & 1^st Sept, the festival aims to be a great showcase for local musical talent.

In order to support engagement with the council regarding the Halls project, we will be inviting members of HPBC and DCC to attend the Festival.

Art in the Window
Between 40 and 50 shops have signed up across Glossop and Hadfield and bill board spaces around Piccadilly booked to promote the event this year. It has been suggested there should be a press release about all four of the August ‘festival’ activities. Glossop Life had advertised Art in the Window but there was no mention of Glossopdale Trust and we will be looking to raise the Trust’s profile in future publicity. The whatsoninglossop website continues to profile the Trust and handle all public information enquiries.

New Board Members
In light of the fact that specialist skills would be beneficial going forward new members have joined the board. They are S Bullivant (Commercial Solicitor), J Beard (Live Sound Engineer and Tutor) and C Herbert (Construction Project Manager).

Ethical Policy
We have discussed the possibility of working on a mission statement or some brief aims and objectives that will include our ethical responsibilities as well as our artistic and community intensions.

AGM
As soon as a date is agreed all Members and Supporters will be notified and invited to attend.