SIX arts and cultural organisations have been announced as the first successful recipients of Essex County Council’s Creative Industries Project Fund and the Cultural Development Grant Fund, which both focus on growing and supporting local talent and Essex’s creative industries. All the organisations will receive between £2,500 and £30,000 in funding. Creative Industries Project Fund WVE Studios Supporting a filmmaking programme that offers career pathways for student filmmakers, inspiring the next generation of the county’s creative professionals. CLIP Sound and Music CIC Developing the ‘Photon Smasher’, a pioneering microphone that allows users to listen to light. Aimed at young scientists, STEM and creative educators and musicians, the fund will support the products growth and innovation. Aura Films Will produce four proof-of-concept films inspired by Essex legends and folklores reimagined for modern audiences. They will also offer placements for young people aspiring to enter the film and television industry. Creative Colchester

The following list details recipients of the Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund, supporting organisations and creative practitioners to deliver an exciting range of work and activity to engage with and bring communities in Essex together. Find out more about the fund here. Since launching in December 2021, the Fund has supported 86 projects across Essex and enabled approximately 300,000 Essex residents and visitors to get involved or benefit from creative and cultural activity across the county. Year 4 Recipients (2025) Eloise Pilbeam Multi-disciplinary artist Eloise Pilbeam will co-create a series of interactive public sculptures in Harlow that will act as communal spaces, inviting people to pause, reflect, connect, and engage in playful exploration. Situated in a public green space, the works will use be composed of reclaimed materials and will be created using traditional weaving techniques in reference to the county’s historic connection with the textile industry. The project

Essex County Council, through its Cultural Development Service, have launched a key piece of work to look at the needs of Essex’s creative industries as the landscape of local government, government spending reviews and devolution continues to rapidly change, and particularly in light of the government’s ‘Invest 2035: UK Modern Industrial Strategy‘ which identifies the creative industries as a key driver of economic growth and innovation in the UK. As conversations continue at a local and national level, Culture Essex is working to ensure that the cultural and the creative industries are recognized and represented as valuable and high potential growth sectors in Essex. To make sure this support reflects the real needs of creative professionals and businesses, Essex County Council has commissioned We Made That to run a survey for those working in the creative industries. Your insights into what it’s like to work in the sector – including