News
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Oxfordshire County Council: Strengthening and Supporting Communities
Oxfordshire County Council's heritage and arts services aim to strengthen and support communities through the direct provision of services and grant support.
Arts Grants
Each year, Oxfordshire County Council awards a number of grants to local arts organisations. In 2011, eight regularly funded organisations will continue to receive this support, allowing them to carry on their highly valued work within the county. These organisations are Bookfeast (Oxford Literary Festival), Oxford Film and Video Makers, Oxford Playhouse, Oxfordshire Theatre Company, Oxfordshire Visual Arts Development Agency, Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership, Pegasus and The Theatre Chipping Norton.
The Oxfordshire Museum
The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock is the principal public service point of the County Council's museum service. With 8 exhibition galleries in a fine 17th and 18th century town house, attractive gardens, and modern visitor facilities in the centre of the town, it is the perfect place to visit to discover more about Oxfordshire's past. In addition to a regular programme of temporary exhibitions, the museum is also set to open a brand new permanent exhibition – which looks at life in Victorian Oxfordshire – later on in the year. All exhibitions are supported by lectures, learning programmes and workshops for schools and community groups. Find out more about the Oxfordshire Museum.
The Mill Arts Centre
The Mill Arts Centre in Banbury offers a wide range of entertainment, cultural and educational events with around 125,000 attendances per year. As well as a full programme of theatre, dance and music, there are also classes and courses for all ages with a special focus placed on creative activity for young people. Find out more about the Mill Arts Centre.
Oxfordshire History Centre
The archive and local studies holdings of the county will be made available on a single site for the first time ever at the Oxfordshire History Centre, uniting the Record Office and Oxfordshire Studies from June 2011. The History Centre, which will be based at St Luke's Church in Cowley, will provide not only historic documents and printed sources, but maps, photographs, oral history and ephemera, together with expert advice from staff and specialist volunteers. It will also house Oxfordshire Health Archives.
Victoria County History
Oxfordshire County Council also supports the Victoria County History of Oxfordshire, which is researching definitive histories of every community in the county as part of a unique national project. Coverage includes everything from archaeology to farming, buildings, social life and people, and with two thirds of Oxfordshire already published the ambition is to complete the rest through partnerships with the VCH Oxfordshire Trust and others. Find out more about Victoria County History.
