The centre will receive £19,560 from National Lottery Community Fund - Awards for All for their project 'Root and Branch: Working with Young Men'. The money will be used to support a year-long project working with young men at risk of social isolation or mental ill health. By working in partnership with Transferable Skills Training and Battling On, a veteran mental health charity, Sterts will host weekly outdoor sessions, giving young men the opportunity to work with a professional gardener and Sterts volunteers to develop a community garden and improve access pathways across the grounds.

It is hoped the project will reduce stress, build self-esteem and foster a sense of accomplishment and community. Sterts has received £67,597 of funding from Arts Council England for another year-long project, ‘Rooted’, helping the centre to become a ‘more inclusive, resilient and artistically ambitious organisation’. The four main aims of the project are to have a stronger, more inclusive governance; deliver training and mentorship to build confident arts leadership; rebuild relationships with communities in Liskeard, Callington and Tavistock - particularly with underserved groups; and support Cornish artists to develop Cornwall’s artistic landscape.

Sterts Arts and Environmental Centre has secured two major funding bids, which will help deliver a series of exciting new community-focused projects to strengthen its work with community wellbeing and artistic development. The Rooted project will culminate in a flagship Festival of Belonging at Sterts in Summer 2026 – a celebration of inclusion, collaboration, and creative expression.

Sara Rhodes, CEO and Creative Director at Sterts said: “These two projects represent a huge step forward for Sterts. We’re thrilled to receive this support which will allow us to deepen our community connections, empower individuals, and grow as a centre for inclusive, high-quality arts practice.

Autumn Events at Sterts

Sterts has a packed line-up of creative events and workshops coming up this autumn.

Sterts is proud to present the World Premiere of ‘INTO THE LIGHT’. PCK Dance has quickly risen to become one of the UK's most exciting contemporary dance voices, and brings its latest bold and emotionally charged production to Cornwall on 19th September. Dance Centred takes to the stage on 27th September with Sea Dances Sterts. Rich, diverse, brave, inclusive and reactive, the session will explore the question, 'How does the sea move you and how do you see the sea move?', featuring a sound score by Launceston-based composer and musician Arlow Anwin, and costumes by Liskeard-based textile and print artist, Nicki Harwood.

In the Sturrock Studio, catch work in progress sharings, Shakespeare and one-man shows across the autumn season. Carn to Cove returns to Sterts with Jaclarabag (17th October), a collection of heartfelt eclectic folksongs and tunes from across the world; and Kevrin, Out of Season (1st October), by local writer Jack Brownridge-Kelly, a pressure-cooker play set in a holiday home on the North Cornish Coast, developed with support from the Royal Court Theatre.

For tickets and events, go to sterts.co.uk

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