How did it come about?
£24K of arts funding was awarded to Sutton Benger as a result of the Redrow development ‘The Park’. Conditions of the grant stipulate that the money is to be spent (by December 2023) on Sutton Benger and environs for the arts and must be “mutually acceptable to the developer, community and arts service”.
The first consultation in 2016 agreed that there should be a legacy to the village and some provision for young people. After much consultation with villagers young and old, it became apparent that people wanted events that brought the community together rather than a one-off piece of art.
There is a great tradition of performing arts and fine arts in our village. Few will remember the Carnival days of the 1930’s, or the amdram group of the 1950’s but many remember fondly the Variety Show, Little Buttons and the Children’s Pantomime. Green Buttons and the Village Singers are very much keeping alive the village’s longstanding tradition of performing arts but it would be wonderful to see more of our young people getting involved.
For this reason, a group of like-minded villagers got together and set up BArts – Benger Arts, to try and deliver what the village wants in terms of the arts. As a result of the engagement with the community. three ideas came to the forefront: a Summer Arts Festival, with something for everyone, a History Trail and a Feel Good Choir.
While the funding may not pay for everything we want to do, money raised by the Festival can be used to sponsor the arts going forward, possibly reinstating a youth drama group. Perhaps in the future we will even be able to sponsor young people to pursue training or careers in the arts, be it in media, music, film, writing, performing or fine art. This is why there will be a charge for tickets; all the money will be ploughed back in to supporting and developing the arts within our community.
The BArts’ team and all their supporters give their time voluntarily despite having very busy day jobs and lives. We are very grateful to all these people for coming forward and helping us deliver your wishes. We still need a lot more help, so come on get involved today! Contact the team on: enquiries@bengerarts.org
BArts Mission Statement
Our mission is to make the arts accessible for all regardless of age or ability, to encourage total participation and inclusiveness within our village community.
Together we hope to learn, participate and be entertained through all forms of the arts, have fun, feel fulfilled and experience joy in a non-judgemental way.