Community events and arts projects

Here's some suggestions for visitor/community events and arts projects that your church may like to consider, in addition to the church calendar of Easter, Harvest, Remembrance, Advent and Christmas:

Event ideas

• Heritage Open Days  September annually. The next one is 6th-15th September 2024. 

• Ride+Stride  the 2nd Saturday in September annually.  A sponsored walk or cycle between churches which raises funds for a church of your choice and our county church trust, Historic Cheshire Churches Preservation Trust (HCCPT).

• Are there village or town festivals/events, commemorations or key dates, or walking/cycling trails you could link with? 

  
  

Events planning

• Your local authority may be co-ordinating events. One suggestion is to speak with their heritage/arts/events team.

• Ecclesiastical Insurance have produced guidance, including a check list

• Running an event safely - by HSE

• Open Doors - Welcoming Visitors and Tourists - by the Diocese of Chester

  
  

Arts

• Art, Artefacts and Conservation. Guidance from the Church of England includes:

  • Display Cases

  • Introducing New Art in Churches

  • Managing Conservation Projects

  • Disposals and Loans

  • And specific guidance for treasures including Church Plate, Metalwork, Monuments, Monumental Brasses, Paintings Organs, Roodscreens, Stained Glass, Textiles, Wallpaintings, Woodwork/Wooden Objects. All can searched in their Advice and Guidance section. New guidance documents are issued as available.

• Christian Arts organisations

  • The Anchor Foundation

  • Art and Christianity Enquiry

  • Art and Sacred Places

  • Christian Arts Trust

  • Cottam Will Trust

  • Art Alive in Churches

    
    

• Regional arts organisations

  
  

  • Axis Arts Centre

  • Cheshire Dance

  • Cheshire Rural Touring Arts

  • Theatre Porto

  • Urban Cheshire Arts and Chuff Chuff

• National Arts Organisations

  • Arts Council England

  • Voluntary Arts

• Funding for arts projects

  • Anchor Foundation

  • Arts Council England

  • National Lottery Communities Fund, Awards for All (previously called Big Lottery)

  • B&Q re-use/up cycle scheme

  • Conservation of historic art and furnishings

  • Conservation of Church Treasures and Arts Projects.  The Church of England’s Parish Resources have produced a 'National List of Charitable Grants for Churches'. A range of national grant-giving trusts for arts projects- worth looking through the whole document.

  • Esmee Fairbain

  • Jerusalem Trust

  • Christian Arts Trust

  • Cottam Will Trust

  • Garfield Weston Foundation

  • Golsoncott Foundation

  • Granada Foundation Grants Programme (North West)

  • Open4Funding (previously known as GrantNet)

  • Radcliffe Trust - Music Grants

  • Youth Music - Grant Making Programmes

  • Also speak with local arts contacts for advice, see above

    
    

Stories worth sharing

Heritage Open Days

‘By hosting days like this, we bring memories alive, rekindled friendships and form new relationships with local people’. Edgeley and Cheadle Heath, St Matthews

Around 25 of our churches usually take part in Heritage Open Days (HOD).

Churches in the Diocese who have previously taken part in HOD

• Astbury, St Mary

• Aston, Runcorn, St Peter

• Backford, St Oswald

• Bebington, St Andrew

• Birkenhead Priory

• Birkenhead, Christ Church

• Bromborough, St Barnabus

• Congleton, St Peter

• Chester, St John the Baptist

• Chester, St Oswald

• Chester, St Peter

• Chester, Newtown, Christ Church

• Daresbury, All Saints

• Dodleston, St Mary

• Edgeley, St Matthew

• Hargrave, St Peter

• Hyde, St George

• Frodsham, St Lawrence

• Farndon Parish Church

• Farnworth, St Luke

• Little Leigh, St Michael and All Angels

• Macclesfield, Christ Church

• Macclesfield, St Michael and All Angels

• Malpas (Shocklash), St Ediths

• Mottram, St Michael and All Angels

• Northwich, St Helen

• Neston, St Mary and St Helen

• Neston, Parkgate, St Thomas

• New Brighton, St James

• Newton in Flowery Field, St Mary

• Plemstall, St Peter

• Shotlach, St Edith

• Shotwick, St Michael

• Stalybridge, Holy Trinty

• Stockton Heath, St Thomas

• Stockport, St Thomas

• Stockport, St George

• Timperley, Christ Church

• Tarvin, St Andrew

• Walton, St John the Evangelist

• Weaverham, St Mary

• West Kirby, St Bridget

• Wrenbury, St Margaret