People’s Postcode Lottery

The Harwich Festival is delighted to be receiving multi-year support from Postcode Places Trust, thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

This unrestricted funding helps us continue our work to make arts and culture accessible to everyone in Harwich and Dovercourt, particularly people who may face financial, social or other barriers to taking part.

Over the past year, that work has continued to grow. Around 500 people now use the Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre each week, taking part in activities ranging from exhibitions, workshops and live performances to regular community-led creative groups.

Our annual Harwich Festival has also continued to provide free opportunities to experience the arts. In 2026 we delivered 20 free events and 16 exhibitions, with more than 100 artists and contributors represented across the exhibition programme.

Young people have been an important part of the year too. Our Year 5 Creative Conference brought together pupils from all seven local primary schools for a day of hands-on creative experiences spanning music, percussion, songwriting, film, digital media, theatre, visual art and opera and ballet.

More than 250 primary school pupils also contributed to our Belong project, exploring what belonging means to them through art. Their collective work has been transformed into an exhibition at the Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre, where it will remain on public display until spring 2027.

Unrestricted funding is particularly valuable to a small arts charity like ours. It gives us the flexibility to support the organisation behind all this activity – keeping our venue operating, supporting our team and creating the conditions in which affordable and free cultural opportunities can continue to happen throughout the year.

We are extremely grateful to Postcode Places Trust and players of People’s Postcode Lottery for supporting The Harwich Festival and helping us enable more people in our community to participate in the arts.