The Gosport Heritage Generator programme is a three-year project that aims to celebrate Gosport’s heritage and invest in its future.
The project is supported by funding from both The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Gosport Borough Council and aims to shine a spotlight on the town’s rich heritage, unearthing untold stories, developing hands-on heritage experiences and investing in both individuals and groups to help promote and support the sustainability of heritage in the town for the future. Running until 2026, there are several strands to the project: some will be open to those who work in and around the local heritage sector, with the opportunity to co-create projects with and for the public, while others will invite the local community to get involved.
What is heritage?
Essentially, heritage can be anything from the past that you value to what you want to pass on to future generations. Understanding, valuing and sharing our heritage brings people together, inspires pride in communities and boosts local economies. Heritage projects combine the telling of stories with interpretation and can use a variety of media and activities to communicate the message, such as:
Stories: food, fashion, transport, clubs and societies, nature, local celebrities, entertainment, music, buildings and language.
Interpretation: visual art, drama, dance, spoken word, film, audio (trails/oral history/song writing), exhibitions, workshops and events.
How to get involved
The different strands of the Gosport Heritage Generator programme are detailed below. If you would like more information, or to discuss an idea or enquire about how to get involved, please email: charlie.fletcher@hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk
Generate skills tutor vacancies
We are seeking highly skilled tutors for our Generate skills programme, which will provide free training opportunities designed to develop organisations working in or around heritage in Gosport. Find out more and how to apply here.
This part of the programme offers free training designed to help sustain and develop organisations, individuals and groups working in or around heritage. Subjects will cover a broad range, from the day-to-day running of an organisation to areas that are more specific to the heritage sector. Where possible, training will be incorporated into real-world projects so that participants can immediately put what they have learned into practice.
Subjects for the first round of training will be: grant applications, fundraising, marketing, community engagement, events planning and volunteer recruitment
Training will be available to book from June 2024 for workshops and/or courses starting in September 2024.
Generate skills tutor vacancies
We are seeking highly skilled tutors for our Generate skills programme, which will provide free training opportunities designed to develop organisations working in or around heritage in Gosport. Find out more and how to apply here.
All participants in the training programme will be eligible to apply for follow-on community grants of up to £5,000 to put their learning into action. Projects should have a clear link to Gosport’s heritage and be co-created with members of the community.
Round one applications open in September 2024
In the Imagination Refinery, a maker's space on the high street, Makers Guild will work with local artists to design a playable board game, co-created with the local community, that brings Gosport’s heritage to life.
Community engagement workshops will take place from March to Mat 2024. The finished game will be launched in November 2024.
Taking inspiration from the history of the Criterion, local community groups will be invited to explore Gosport’s musical history, leading to a touring exhibition which will launch as part of Heritage Open Days. Residents will be encouraged to contribute their own memories as the exhibition travels around the town.
Community engagement workshops with take place from March to May 2024 and the exhibition will launch in September 2024.
Gosport Museum and Art Gallery will invite locals to delve into the museum's collections as well as their own personal archives to develop the next story to be included in the museum displays.
This will begin in February 2025, with the exhibition launching in December 2025.