Arts and Culture East Devon (ACED) has launched a new survey to find out how East Devon District Council can best support the cultural/creative community in Honiton.

A link to survey can be accessed here.

The deadline is Friday, 9 April 2021 and the results will be shared in the first Network Member Forum on 29 April, 10.20 – 12.20 (Zoom link to follow).

Arts and Culture have a huge role to play in responding to and confronting the societal changes we face today, particularly after the Covid pandemic.

They are vital in helping us find a positive way forward and realise a better future for our communities – supporting health and wellbeing, the environment and economic recovery.

From rainbow drawings displayed in our windows, singing from apartment balconies to our best efforts inspired by Grayson Perry's art classes – it is clear creativity is something we all share.

In the wake of the pandemic, the Arts and Culture East Devon forum is being relaunched as ACED – Arts and Culture East Devon.

This new public forum is designed to support local cultural services in East Devon such as theatres, museums, galleries and festivals as well as all creative practitioners.

ACED hopes to connect the creative and cultural communities of East Devon, providing a central platform to engage, network, promote and talk about arts and culture across the region.

This new survey aims to find out how East Devon District Council can best support the culture in East Devon through ACED.

Councillor Paul Arnott, Leader of East Devon District Council said: "This survey is a mark of how seriously our council takes the arts, culture and entertainment sectors in the life of East Devon.

"We'd love to get a response from all such East Devon-based cultural organisations and communities, please, to help us to understand how ACED can interact with the entire network, and what the forum's priorities for the future should be.

ACED aims:

• Provide support for professional and artistic development, enabling partnership

• Develop and promote local authority arts and culture-led economic growth initiatives

• Support advocacy work for local arts and culture services and identify areas for collaboration

• Share news, best practice, plans and ambitions – aiding communication between arts practitioners, arts organisations, non-arts organisations, local government and regional and national bodies

• Embed the role of the arts in the cultural, social, educational, environmental and economic life of the district

• Increase participation in cultural activity in the district, developing a healthy social and cultural ecology which engages and enriches communities

The intent is to host three Network Member Zooms a year, two Executive Membership meetings (including East Devon District Councillors) a year, and distribute a bi-monthly newsletter.