Creative People & Places are celebrating their ten-year anniversary and are looking at the impact they have made in Hounslow. 

Creative People & Places is a funding programme which focuses on parts of the country where involvement in creativity and culture is significantly below the national average and have been involved in Hounslow since 2014. 

The organisations which have received their funding have helped to create an array of experiences for all kinds of people across the borough, for example Feltham Fete, Creative Mile, Winter Lights and Shakti Divas Bhangra – a fusion dance and drumming group started in 2017. 

Leader of Hounslow Council, Shantanu Rajawat said: "Creative People & Place Hounslow has made an important contribution to expanding and developing the opportunities for cultural participation across our diverse borough.  

"It's great to see the positive impact this activity has on the rich mix of communities that make up Hounslow, enabling participation in arts and culture for residents from all backgrounds and walks of life." 

Watermans arts centre in Brentford has led the Creative People and Places consortium in Hounslow and has helped to showcase some of the cultural pieces which have helped to brighten up the borough over the last nine years. 

Director of lead partner, Watermans, Jan Lennox said: "Watermans is extremely proud of the contribution made by Creative People & Place Hounslow to demonstrate the continued appetite for quality, accessible participatory opportunities and cultural experiences.  

"It has been a huge pleasure to be part of the team leading this important work and it is an incredible achievement to have been enabling this to happen for the past ten years." 

Tonya Nelson, Area Director, London, Arts Council England added: "Creative People & Places Hounslow is a fantastic example of how investment in creativity and culture can have a deep and lasting effect on places and the people who live in them.  

"From Feltham Fete to Brentford's annual open studios event the Creative Mile, over the past eight years local people of all ages and backgrounds have been able to get involved on their doorsteps. And this ongoing work is all made possible thanks to National Lottery players."