With Grimsby Town’s recent win over Manchester United, there’s been a lot of talk of ‘supporting the underdog’ and the amazing ‘feels’ that come about when the underdog ‘wins’. There is certainly something to celebrate about winning through on grit, belief and determination (and while you’re at it, proving others wrong).
There’s no doubt Grimsby all round has been perceived ‘externally’ as well ‘internally’ as a ‘lesser place’ and in lots of ways it is – and in lots of ways it isn’t – but it’s a fact that this has been true when it’s come to cultural and creative opportunities.
What we’ve shouted about for years, which is now being addressed from lots of directions, is the town’s potential. On returning back to our hometown Grimsby, from London, both Becky and I (although not connected at the time), saw huge potential for enlivening Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham with colour, music, live performance and cheer.
What has underpinned our quest to make a tangible and visible difference is belief that Grimsby could be just as ‘creative and cultural’ as any other town or city in the UK. As we both saw major differences in what was happening and supported locally, compared to what was going on in other towns and cities through public funding, we wanted to do something about it.
Determined to uplift our place and recognising that North East Lincolnshire is home to hundreds of creatives of all kinds (with some at the time not even daring to call themselves ‘artists’), we’ve developed and delivered numerous impactful projects and programmes over the years, connecting local people to national artists while also providing a platform for local talent and (we hope) growing confidence and belief and raising pride of place.
One of the motivators has been to use our vision and determination to support others who we knew were not benefiting from the opportunities that other places enjoy. With support from national sector organisations and contacts who have got behind us (recognising our mission in this ‘underdog place’) we’ve done everything we can in often challenging circumstances to get things off the ground and secure the investment needed – not just for our own activity but in a wider sense for North East Lincolnshire, with many more organisations and artists securing funding that we could have only dreamed of for the area 10 years ago.
One thing we have observed is that how many people in North East Lincolnshire do care so much about their communities and want to make a difference and do good things for the town. Often operating with very little while faced with ‘mammoth tasks’, individuals and organisations work their socks off for the overall common good, trying to improve things, providing more opportunities while providing a sense that someone cares. Coupled with businesses large and small also being committed to playing their part, it has been so heartening to see – that in our own ways we are all in it together for our place. And that is something that makes me feel very proud to be part of.
Header image from the Paint The Town Proud project
