Christine Carter Creative Fund Supports Arts Enterprise

We are proud to highlight our ongoing partnership with Point North, an organisation dedicated to creating real opportunities across our region. Thanks to their grant funding, several Durham Sixth Form students received direct support last academic year to help them succeed in their studies and aspirations. These funds are distributed to the places where they can make the most difference to the most people. This is done through grants to community groups or voluntary organisations, or individuals.

Students were able to purchase essentials for their education such as art portfolios for university interviews, materials, travel costs for university open days and payments for school trips.

A standout success story from this funding is Kaos Morris, who received a grant from the Christine Carter Creative Arts Fund to invest in a camera flash. This vital equipment removed barriers and unlocked creative possibilities that had previously been out of reach for her photography practice. The grant came at just the right moment for Kaos, who had already begun photographing gigs at local venues so this amazing opportunity transformed the way she photographed live music and helped her work stand out. Beyond her work, it further connected her with people who have since become a part of her career.

Kaos’s work is increasingly focused on the place she comes from and the people creating its culture. During her foundation year Kaos made a project about youth culture in the North East. The project explored the relationship between politics and local music.

Championing her creative potential, staff at Durham Sixth Form Centre submitted the application on Kaos’s behalf. For a young creative, having staff recognise your talent and securing the funds to act on it, can turn ambition into tangible practice. Removing that barrier opened doors well beyond the initial grant. As Kaos puts it: “All of that is just a pipeline down from me getting that bursary.”

For a young person trying to develop a creative practice, a grant can be the difference between wanting to pursue an interest and having the means to do something with it. Kaos’s experience suggests that removing one of those barriers can have benefits far beyond the original costs.

This work was recently celebrated in Point North’s own Newsletter. https://pointnorth.org.uk/casestudies/the-grant-that-changed-the-way-kaos-saw-her-future/