Cultivate

What is Cultivate?    

Cultivate is a creative partnership that brings local food, arts and people together for the benefit of rural communities and the natural environment in South Somerset. 

We do this by delivering a programme of high-quality arts projects, performances, workshops and events that reconnect people to the local food story, from farm to fork to festival. We currently work with local producers, farmers, artists, organisations, groups and communities in, and around, Crewkerne, Chard, Ilminster and South Petherton who share our passion for tasty, nutritious and affordable nature-friendly food.  

Cultivate was a key element of our work as a partner in Ruritage, a 4-year, EU-funded project (ended in Aug 2022), that aimed to strengthen the role that culture and heritage plays in the survival and success of rural communities.  

Cultivate explores working in social, innovative, vibrant and dynamic spaces, blending arts and food together to inspire positive, community-led change. Alternative spaces include farms, woodland areas, country parks, food markets and gardens.

The Cultivate Community

Through Cultivate’s work, we connect people to the land in which they live, share stories, celebrate our local food producers and farms and strengthen community engagement and learning. We do this by:

Bringing  people together through the sharing and enjoyment of delicious local food and high quality performing and visual arts.       

Cultivating platforms for the arts sector and local food community to exchange knowledge through shared experiences and networking.  

Generating opportunities for people of all ages to learn, participate, and be creative in activities and workshops.  

Serving up a menu of events that lead to better health and wellbeing and increased benefits for the environment and the area in which we live.

To see all of our Cultivate films visit the Take Art You Tube page here.

Projects to date

Cultivate prides itself on working on an exciting mix of projects with different artists, partners and organisations. Read about Cultivate projects within the various new stories as below:

• Chill On The Hill at Ham Hill Country Park (2022 and 2023)
• Cultivate Connects (Flaxdrayton Farm Event, Chard Together 2023, Yeovil Together 2023 & 2022)
• Sewing Seeds of Gladness
• Culturally Chard Spring Festival
• Farm Yard Circus at Bagnell Farm, Norton Sub Hamdon
• Let's Fly! Drone footage in collaboration with C&T with local producers, Bagnell Farm, North Perrott Farm Shop and The Cookhouse, Flaxdrayton Farm
• The Somerset Food Trail with Sustainable Food Somerset
• The Banners of Chard with Somerset Art Works
• Slow Burn at ARK with PROMISEworks children and mentors
• Doorstep Poetry with North Perrott Farm
• Apple Art with Natasha Rand

Huge thanks to all the artists, local producers, farmers and community who support our work and make it come alive! 

Watch this space for future events and how you can get involved.

Meet the Cultivate Team

Be part of the Cultivate conversation...

Tickled your tastebuds? Be part of the conversation and keep up to date with news, activity and events by following us on socials.

For Cultivate events, workshops and performances keep an eye on the Take Art What’s on Page, read the latest news stories or subscribe to the Take Art mailing list here.

Flier design by Mell Oliver from The Sunshine Bindery

If you have a question, want to find out more or to get involved in Cultivate's local work contact cultivate@takeart.org or call 01460 249 450