Our new blog series will look back on some of the fantastic work supported by CultureDale as part of the 2024 Year of Culture by interviewing organisations who benefitted from our support. We also have new projects being developed through our CultureDale Connect Fund, stay tuned for more information on these to follow soon!

Everybody Arts - Project Overview

The Artists in Residency Programme, delivered by Everybody Arts, brought local visual artists to venues across the borough, where the public were able to see and interact with their creative practice. Immersed in a new environment, the residencies celebrated the culture and creativity of Calderdale by allowing each artist to explore new ideas while engaging with the local community. People had the chance to work with the artist in a series of fully accessible workshops and engagement activities, providing space for the exchange of ideas between artists and their communities.

What was the impact of CultureDale support, and what did you learn from the project?

Funding and support during the Year of Culture were essential in bringing the CultureDale Artist in Residence Programme to life. The investment allowed us to commission and support six local visual artists to take up residencies in community venues across Calderdale, giving them both time and resources to develop new work. The funding also enabled us to cover vital costs such as artist fees, materials, venue partnerships, accessibility provisions, and project coordination. Without this support, the scale and ambition of the programme – which connected professional artists directly with local communities – would not have been possible.

The programme deepened our relationships with communities across Calderdale by placing artists directly in local spaces – including libraries, community hubs, and cultural venues – where residents could engage with them informally as well as through workshops. This grassroots approach created opportunities for meaningful dialogue, participation, and shared creativity. It also strengthened our partnerships with other cultural organisations in the borough, including The Smith, King Cross Library, Ogden Water Nature Reserve and The Folklore Centre helping us to build a stronger network of collaboration that extends beyond the project itself. It helped us make new connections and reach new audiences, who may not have worked with us in the past. This also helped to increase our visibility and profile in Calderdale.

The success of the Artist Residencies programme has shown that there is a real appetite among local artists, local venues and the public for this kind of activity. We are keen to replicate this project again, to give local artists more opportunities to develop their work and bring them into contact with local people. The residencies received an enormous amount of positive feedback from both artists and participants, which has directly informed our planning for future programmes. The visibility of the project helped to raise the profile of Everybody Arts locally, attracting new members and increasing interest in our workshops and opportunities. Some of our resident artists are now delivering workshops with us. The project also provided valuable evidence of impact and community engagement, which we have been able to use in subsequent funding applications. 

What other work do you have coming soon for people to get involved in?

Our upcoming exhibition Earth, A Cosmic Spectacle, running Saturday 6 December - Saturday 28 February 2026 and funded by Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council’s Culture Grants, explores deep time, contrasting Earth’s slow evolution with the rapid changes of the Anthropocene. Gathering reflections from astronomers, biologists, geologists, and high school students, artist Louise Beer uses photography, sound and discussion to connect audiences emotionally to Earth’s history and climate crisis.

Our three year Bloom programme will improve creative health career opportunities for young women aged 18-25 in Calderdale. Delivered in partnership with Creative Minds and South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust and funded by the Pilgrim Trust, this real living wage training and mentorship programme will help participants to build a career in the cultural-health sector while supporting their wellbeing along the way. Running alongside our training programme will be the Bloom Network, a space where women in the cultural health field can come together to share ideas, support each other, and connect with like-minded creatives. 

Art Lab is a peer group for artists and creative practitioners to discuss their work, concurrent ideas and critical thinking based in Halifax since January 2019. Originating at Dean Clough in 2019, moving online during the Covid lockdowns and developing through cooperative and collaborative working, Art Lab relaunched in September 2025 at Everybody Arts and runs every second Saturday of the month.