Day of arts, performances, and demonstrations coming to Sutton-on-Sea

Sutton Stories will get underway on Monday (February 12) as part of the National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) programme awarded to the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, and is being produced by Sessions Arts, the creative arm of Spilsby Sessions House.

Set to take place at Meridale Youth and Community Hall in Sutton-on-Sea, the day will see a variety of artists and arts companies hosting workshops and performances for visitors to enjoy.

Just some of the experiences during the day include mini-shadow puppetry show Fettle & Fable, a range of virtual reality experiences by MBD, the Fabuloso Organ, and Rhubarb Theatre have also created their own Sutton-on-Sea story to perform.

The project, led by local artists Spectrum Arts and Lumo workshop, will also work closely with Sutton on Sea Primary School, community groups, and families to collate a variety of different stories about Sutton-on-Sea, before turning them into a range of unique pieces of arts consisting of light, images and sound that will be on display on the day.

The event will run from from 2pm to 7pm and is free to attend and is open to all ages, interests, and arts experiences.

MBD will be returning to Meridale Youth and Community Hall to deliver a drop-in workshop to help young people learn basic skills in 3D design, world building, game development, visual storytelling and more through the Unreal game engine. The workshop will take place on Wednesday 14 February from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, anyone aged 8 to 16 is welcome.

Councillor Graham Marsh, Deputy Leader at East Lindsey District Council and member of the culture board, said: “We are delighted to get this exciting project underway, and can’t think of a better place to look to launch our NPO work than in Sutton-on-Sea.

“We want to make sure that the work taking place is really driven by our local communities and residents, and best reflects their stories and experiences of the place they live. Sutton Stories is a great concept, and has the potential to serve as a lasting record of the immensely rich heritage of the area. I hope residents will be able to join us for this first event, learn more about it, and help shape the future of our history.”

The project is part of the Partnership’s NPO project through funding from Arts Council England, as Sutton-on-Sea was identified as East Lindsey’s creative hub site to deliver creative activity as part of the funding, supported through the new Colonnade building currently under construction.