Heritage Impact Accelerator

Home
Community
Heritage Projects and Partnerships
Heritage Impact Accelerator

The Heritage Impact Accelerator will provide two cohorts of local practitioners with a 10-month needs-driven incubator programme, split into three phases. With a £4,000 stipend for each of the eight participants and a particular focus on Corby, Accelerator aims to build capacity and increase levels of income. This will enable new partnerships to thrive, supporting heritage project delivery to children and young people. Within each phase, Accelerator participants will benefit from tailored knowledge exchange and CPD opportunities, which will include nationally applicable industry specialists, staff from both universities and co-working sessions between each other.

Phase 1 – Training and Development

A training and co-working programme delivered in response to a participant skills audit, which realises areas for development. The end of this phase features Accelerator Demo Week, which enables participants to pilot ideas and work-in-progress with industry, community and cultural sector/cross-sector professionals.

Phase 2 – Project and Partnership Enhancement

Participants will extend project ideas from Phase 1. They will connect to new local partners, deliver a pilot heritage outreach programme, and receive support to consider robust methods of project management, delivery and evaluation.

Phase 3 – Bid Writing & Next Steps Support

Considering the impact of Phase 2 delivery, participants will further develop their partnerships, business plans, and will receive support to write funding applications that realise these new business, outreach and partnerships models, as well as ambitions for the future.

For more information or to register your interest, contact us: heritage@northampton.ac.uk

Meet the first cohort!

First cohort of the Corby Heritage Accelerator programme in UON library — Photo shows the first cohort of the Corby Heritage Accelerator programme (L - R: Lisa Lovett, Carole Miles, Phiona Richards, Chuck Middleton). They are standing in front of a library bookstack in the Learning Hub, Waterside campus, and smiling at the camera.

First cohort of the Corby Heritage Accelerator programme with UON Heritage Project staff at British Museum — Photo shows first cohort of the Corby Heritage Accelerator programme with UON Heritage Project staff and Luton Heritage Elevator Practitioners (including L - R: Jakub Rokita, Carole Miles, Taher Adel, Chuck Middleton, Lisa Lovett, Suzanne Oliver, Jitty Marwaha, Sophie Gresswell, Phiona Richards) on steps inside the British Museum

We are delighted to introduce our first cohort for the Corby Heritage Accelerator programme. Funded by the Heritage Fund, the Accelerator is a ten-month incubation programme for community, cultural and heritage practitioners to achieve a step change in their heritage work.

Suzanne Oliver, Heritage Projects and Partnerships Officer, said: “The recruitment process was thoroughly enjoyable for us because we got to meet new practitioners from a wide range of disciplines in Corby. Learning about their personal experiences and ideas through the interview process was inspiring and enabled us to gain a sense of how the University can best support them. This cohort brings together an exciting mix of expertise, experiences and interests but all share a passion for Corby and raising the profile of the town’s rich and sometimes hidden heritage. I cannot wait to see the impact of each of them over the next ten months and beyond.”

Over the next ten months the four participants will explore new avenues of their practise through co-working, attend workshops with leading professionals in the Heritage sector, pilot outreach programmes in educational settings and receive tailored one-to-one support in developing and submitting bids for their projects.

Applications for the second cohort are set to open in February 2024.

Chuck Middleton is a stand-up artist, poet and podcaster with a passion for all things Corby. He has been broadcasting in radio and tv for over 30 years in Northamptonshire and has performed at venues, events and festivals nationally.

Chuck presents a weekly community radio show focused on alternative music as well as reporting on non-league football team Corby Town for both Corby Radio and BBC Radio Northampton. This has also led him onto writing for the national weekly newspaper The Non-League Paper.

“People may know me as Chuck the Poet. But I certainly don’t see poetry as ‘disposable’ as I’m as passionate about that as I am about Corby. As a member of the Heritage Accelerator, I want to gather data and create a buzz about the history of Corby and its future for those in the town now and those who are yet to arrive.”
Lisa Lovett is a graduate of UON’s Primary Education degree and a pottery sculptor and portrait artist. Leaving teaching in 2010, Lisa was able to focus solely on creating art and to teach her arts workshops and develop her Saturday Arts School and Family Areas at Music Festivals.

Lisa believes that the arts are a tool to connect communities and joins Corby Heritage Accelerator to explore the heritage aspects of her community led practice.

“I am thrilled to join the Corby Heritage Accelerator to explore the heritage aspects of community-led practice. Although it’s still early days, I would like to start a ‘Corby Room 13’ to research how arts and heritage impact learning with me as Resident Artist across Corby schools.”
Carole Miles is a socially engaged artist who has worked across several disciplines, including digital imagery, print making, site specific temporary installations and textiles. With a wealth of experience of working in schools and community settings, Carole also has a long track record of designing and delivering creative wellbeing projects which are often informed by research, social history, local history, family histories and exploration of place. She is committed to offering creative experiences that leave a real legacy.

“I am fascinated by layers, light, histories; lost and forgotten spaces, urban decay, rural isolation, wide skies, spacious landscapes, growth, change, memory and communication. I believe place, architecture and landscape can speak to people in a poetic and pertinent fashion. History and culture are more than dry texts on dusty shelves, by studying the past we can inspire the young, helping them to dream up vibrant solutions to present day problems or work towards future innovations. The Corby Heritage Accelerator will help me open doors and start creative conversations.”
Phiona Richards is a visual storyteller and maker of books and jewellery whose work has been exhibited locally, nationally, and internationally.

She says: “Joining the Heritage Accelerator is something that aligns strongly with what I believe and what I do. I’m involved with projects which include contemporary arts education, wellbeing/mindful workshops, and heritage crafts.

“My passion has propelled me to develop ways of working that empower people to reach their full potential by using art and craft techniques. With the Heritage Accelerator, I hope to take more people in and around Corby on the same journey.”