Sophy Sylvester #RUOSTURNS10
Tell us how you were/are involved in Right Up Our Street. Tell us about your experience.
As the fundraiser for darts, I wrote the very first funding application that secured the money to deliver the project - all the way back in early 2012. darts musician, Janet Wood, and I set up lots of community consultation opportunities, visiting all manner of venues in communities across the borough and writing songs with local residents, council officers and community stakeholders.
We made connections with lots of key people from all over Doncaster to try to create a project that responded to need, people's passions and our collective creative spirit. It was pretty challenging as so many people wanted to be involved, but the bid was successful and our 10 year vision for Right Up Our Street was born.
The first round of funding lasted three years, and I applied to Arts Council England again in 2016 to secure another three years of Right Up Our Street. darts were originally the lead partner for the project, and we're still an active consortium member, so our artists and building (The Point) have been intrinsically linked throughout. I have enjoyed seeing the breadth of projects that have happened across the borough, as well as the huge range of art forms, artists and community members that have got involved.
What was your most memorable Right Up Our Street moment?
There are so many brilliant moments, but the thing that I think is most extraordinary is the fact that so many community members have developed the skills and experience to begin commissioning and delivering creative events and activities of their own. It has been great to work with groups such as Balby Community Arts, Cosy Cinema and Mexborough's Ted Hughes project, and support them to apply for their own funding to develop even more projects that reach even more people. The other aspect that I was really involved with was securing funding and recruiting the RUOS interns. These were young people who wanted to develop their career in the creative industries and were able to gain a wealth of hands on experience within the Right Up Our Street team. All of the interns have gone on to have brilliant roles within the sector - and some still work for Right Up Our Street, doing amazing things now!
Has your involvement in the project changed your approach to working in the arts?
I have been working in the arts for a long time and have always done fundraising as part of my job. However, this was the first really big grant that I secured, and the experience has given me lots more confidence as an arts fundraiser. It also improved my facilitation skills as I was able to deliver fundraising training for community members and support groups to develop their fundraising skills.
In your opinion, how does having a project like Right Up Our Street benefit the borough of Doncaster?
Right Up Our Street has the ability to deliver at scale with lots of people across the borough. It is able to bring unusual, curious and awe-inspiring creative work to Doncaster residents' doorsteps, broadening horizons and giving people entirely new experiences. Whatever people's background, they are able to take part as an artist, producer, commissioner or audience member, offering a huge sense of pride and achievement.
