Lincoln Arts Centre secures £15,000 funding for VE and VJ Day commemoration project

Lincoln Arts Centre has been awarded a £15,000 grant to deliver a new community commemoration project, Our Freedom: Then and Now, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. 

The funding, provided by the UK Government through Arts Council England's Future Arts Centres initiative, supports the development of community-based events in arts centres, museums, and libraries across the UK. 

Lincoln Arts Centre, part of The University of Lincoln, is one of 80 organisations nationwide to receive this funding.

In collaboration with the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC), the project will bring the IBCC Digital Archive to life through a series of stories, workshops, and large-scale displays. The initiative aims to engage local communities in reflecting on the end of the Second World War and exploring the concept of freedom both then and now.

Ben Anderson, Director of Lincoln Arts Centre, said: “Local artists and communities in Lincoln are once again taking their place on the national stage. This time through our involvement in an initiative with real local significance.

“I’m excited to get started and eager to see communities come together to explore and activate the University’s unique cultural assets: Lincoln Arts Centre and the IBCC Digital Archive to create something truly unique and memorable.”

The project seeks participants who are RAF personnel or have a strong connection with the RAF, students, residents of or around Boston Fenside, individuals interested in Lincolnshire history, and those ready to bring stories to life in Lincolnshire. 

Interested individuals are encouraged to sign up before Sunday, 15 June.

For more information and to register, visit the Lincoln Arts Centre website.