Call for creatives to help shape the future of Salisbury Bemerton

Tuesday, 23 June 2026 12:11

Artists and creatives are invited to play a key role in engaging local residents as a new Community Board begins to take shape in Salisbury Bemerton as part of the government’s Pride in Place programme.

The Community Board will bring together residents, community organisations, businesses, public sector partners, local councillors and MP to shape a shared 10-year vision for the area. It will set priorities, guide delivery and ensure investment reflects what matters most to the community.

Salisbury Bemerton is set to receive up to £20 million of government funding over the next decade, providing a major opportunity to support regeneration and strengthen the community.

As part of the Community Board’s wider engagement work with residents, and to help ensure local voices are at the heart of this work, artists and creatives are being sought to lead community engagement activities over the summer.

They will work with local people to capture and share their experiences, ideas and aspirations through a wide range of formats such as film, photography, storytelling, poetry, digital media, live events or physical works like murals or sculptures. The aim is to create a compelling set of ‘narratives’, creative expressions that reflect the lived experience, feelings and ambitions of people in the area.

Tom Belshaw, Chair of the Community Board, said: “The creative arts are a such a powerful vehicle for human expression, they help us to tell our story. These ‘narratives’ will form an important part of the Community Board’s engagement work, ensuring they are rooted in the lives and experiences of our neighbourhoods.”

This is a short-term opportunity focused on delivering engagement activity over the coming weeks and months, rather than developing a long-term arts strategy.

Cllr Helen Belcher, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Regeneration and Assets, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to engage with the local community in a creative and diverse way to ensure their voices are at the heart of the programme moving forward. I would encourage artists and creatives to apply as soon as possible.

“The Pride in Place programme supports our priority of empowering and working with our communities, and we look forward to seeing how local people want to use the investment.”

Artists and creatives with experience of working with communities are encouraged to apply. Small grants are available to support this work.

The call is open until 5 pm on Friday, 17 July 2026, to enable projects to take place over the summer, with findings feeding back to the Community Board in early autumn.

For full details on how to apply, please contact: prideinplace@wiltshire.gov.uk

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