Hastings Trust, working in partnership with young people, has recently been awarded £4.25 million from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (administered by the BIG Lottery) to develop world class youth facilities at St Mary in the Castle. Young people in Hastings identified a need for arts and cultural facilities.
This was a highly competitive process and out of over 200 bids submitted nationally ours is one of 42 supported through the standard route programme. There are an additional 15 fast track projects. The funding is subject to a robust Capital Delivery Planning stage which is underway at present, which will undertake detailed feasibility, surveys and design works, alongside the development of a sustainable business plan. All the funding offered is capital and therefore it will not be paying for salaries – Hastings Trust is working with young people and partner agencies, including the Borough and County Councils, to manage and deliver the project as core activity and on a voluntary basis.
It is important to understand what is meant by ‘youth facilities’ within this context, and also how the location within such an iconic building will benefit the wider community.
Myplace is about youth and community involvement, including the integration of youth with the wider community, and ensuring that young people have a sense of place and belonging, shared with the wider community. Current users of St Mary in the Castle will find the youth managed arts and cultural facility more than receptive to their active involvement and we believe that St Mary in the Castle will become more vibrant, accessible, and utilised than ever before. In fact, in order to make the building financially sustainable, we will have to maximise use of the auditorium and the new facilities which will be purchased with the funding, in order to generate income to keep the centre running.
Unfortunately the local press has misrepresented the intention of the centre and has demonstrated a clear lack of understanding of youth culture today – young people in Hastings themselves identified the need for an arts and cultural facility which is accessible, affordable and safe for their use. The centre will encompass all art forms - dance, music, visual arts, performance, new media and so on – Hastings young people are far more receptive to cultural regeneration than they are often given credit for.
Hastings Trust is an urban regeneration charity, one of the biggest development trusts in the country and we believe in protection, preservation and conservation. Young people involved in this project will be educated about the historical significance and value of this iconic building, and will learn to respect, protect and conserve it, as well as learning skills in architectural preservation and renovation. If we isolate our young people, and future generations, from this building now, who will be there to love and protect it into the future?
In summary the project aims to build community relations, break down stereotypes, build active partnerships, retain and enhance vibrancy, energy, creativity and talent, and demonstrate respect and value for our youth. The project will ensure that young people are connected to the town’s heritage and history, will raise aspirations, and will ensure that St Mary in the Castle can continue to stand proud as a very real celebration of the culture, arts and creativity inherent in Hastings.
Mel Bonney-Kane, Hastings Trust
Please click here for a pdf of the June 24th update on Myplace covering the architects working on the project, promotion, community participation and an invitation to the members of the public to suggest what facilities and resources they would like to see in the building.
Please click here for a pdf (2.5 mb) of the May 09 Design Day workshop organised by Hastings Trust to involve young people in helping to create a Youth Hub at St Mary-in-the-Castle, and in selecting an architect for the project. It was also seen as a step in building community design capacity for the MyPlace Youth Hub project and for any future public consultation on St Mary-in-the-Castle.
Please click here for a pdf record of a Myplace stakeholders' meeting chaired by Mel on May 14th. This answers concerns as well as finding support from those interested in the future of St Mary-in-the-Castle. It also includes an introduction to Jodie Taylor who has been appointed as the Youth and Community Engagement Officer for the Hastings Trust.
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