Art and discovery trails to attract people to Huddersfield town centre could soon be backed.
Kirklees Cabinet will, on Tuesday, consider spending £47,000 on a number of projects to increase footfall and public participation in town centre events.
The money is part of £100,000 Kirklees received from the government’s High Street Innovation Fund intended for projects to boost high streets and give town centres greater and more varied use.
Phase one has seen Kirklees spend £53,000 on a pop-up restaurant at Dewsbury Spirit; a pop-up unit and legal hub at the Packhorse Centre in Huddersfield; branding for Byram Arcade; six Huddersfield town centre trails plus events at the Piazza.
Phase two will be considered by Kirklees Cabinet on Tuesday with other projects as follows:
£25,000 on the Huddersfield Contemporary Art Programme - used towards artists residencies, raising awareness of public art and supporting the £150k two-year project as it bids for outside funding.
£4,850 for the Huddersfield Sound Walk - an innovative sound walk app for Huddersfield town centre that streams local information and local history. The app will be developed by the Huddersfield Creative Arts Network and Huddersfield University, which will donate £500 to the app and maintain it.
£1,850 for the HOST Art Walk - an evening of pop-up art exhibitions in town centre premises on September 8. The walk will raise awareness of the town’s culture.
£15,300 towards the Discover Huddersfield project - a follow-on from phase one with funding to re-print the existing themed trail leaflets, develop four more trails, compile them all into a book for sale to generate income to sustain the project in the future. Feasibility for new smart trails for mobile devices will take place and there are plans for monthly guided walks on Upmarket Sundays, with a Discover Huddersfield festival on October 14.
The report says Clr Peter McBride, Cabinet member for Place, is keen for the borough to develop as a regional tourism destination for the arts and he says the projects will “showcase Huddersfield as a creative and innovative town”.
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