A TORPOINT arts organisation has secured vital National Lottery funding to turn local ideas into action through a new programme of creative workshops, youth activities and community support.

Torpoint Artists Collective CIC has been awarded £17,642 from The National Lottery Community Fund for Our Town, a 15-month programme aimed at developing creative skills and giving local people greater opportunities to shape the future of the town.

The programme builds on Torpoint’s new Arts & Culture Strategy, which was developed following extensive consultation involving more than 600 responses from residents through surveys, interviews, community events, schools, youth groups and creative workshops.

A key message from the consultation was Torpoint already has significant community and creative energy, but local groups, volunteers and organisers would benefit from greater support in developing skills, promoting their work and reaching new audiences.

Young people also called for more opportunities to be creative, develop skills and have a greater say in shaping their town.

Our Town will seek to address those priorities through free creative and digital workshops based at TAC’s community arts space at 61 Fore Street.

Sessions will cover areas including design, digital tools, communications, storytelling and audience development, with the aim of giving residents and community groups practical skills they can use to promote projects, events and organisations.

The programme will also build on TAC’s work with young people through Love Fore Street and its previous Mini Journalists and Story Gatherers projects.

Working with youth partners including Action for Children/Kernow Connect, TAC hopes to give young people opportunities to document Torpoint, tell its stories and develop creative and digital skills while helping influence future activity.

Tony Walsh, director of Torpoint Artists Collective CIC, said: “We’re delighted to receive this support from The National Lottery Community Fund. What makes it particularly exciting for us is that it comes directly from conversations we've been having with people in Torpoint.

“People told us they wanted more opportunities to learn from each other, develop practical creative skills and get better at communicating all the brilliant things already happening here.

“We hope Our Town can support the people already doing great things locally, give young people more opportunities to have a voice and help build confidence and pride in Torpoint as a creative place.”

The project supports the ambitions of the Torpoint Arts & Culture Strategy 2025-2030, which aims to develop local creative skills, raise the profile of cultural activity, support youth creativity and leadership, and strengthen the town’s identity.

Torpoint Mayor Julie Martin welcomed the funding, saying: “Congratulations to Torpoint Artists Collective on securing this funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. I hope members of the community are encouraged to participate and get behind these plans, and I am looking forward to seeing the outputs of the ‘Our Town’ project.”

The funding will support project coordination, workshops, marketing, materials and participant support, as well as further development of TAC’s community space.

The Our Town programme is due to begin in autumn 2026, with details of workshops and youth activities to be announced in the coming months.