The Burton at Bideford announced as a Freelands Awards 2026 winner

Freelands Foundation today announces The Burton at Bideford in North Devon as one of the first winners of a major new £1.5 million awards scheme recognising and celebrating visual art education in the UK over the next five years.

Winning for Burton Futures – an outreach programme working with rural schools to remove barriers to arts engagement – The Burton is one of three winning organisations who will each receive an award of £100,000. The winners will also collaborate with Freelands Foundation on case study films to share their art education work as a resource and inspiration to other organisations in the sector and beyond.

The Freelands Awards 2026 winners chosen in recognition of progressive art education approaches with demonstrable impact, are:

• The Burton at Bideford in North Devon, for Burton Futures, an outreach programme working with schools to remove barriers to arts engagement, including The Burton Art Box – a horse box converted into a camera obscura and darkroom that travels to rural schools
• SIGNAL in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria for its Artist Development Lab developing artists through workshops, expert mentoring and exhibition making
• Wolverhampton Art Gallery for two stand-out projects in its Arts and Culture Youth Programme inspired by the collection and temporary exhibitions in which participants work with the gallery team to help build skills and careers in the creative industries

Burton Futures was established in March 2025 in response to feedback from teachers about the increasing economic barriers local schools face in connecting young people to world-class art as part of their education. As well as funding continuing professional development (CPD) sessions for teachers and travel bursaries for rural schools to visit The Burton and take part in artist workshops, the scheme runs The Burton Art Box - a converted horse box that travels to rural schools as a camera obscura, connecting science and art curriculums.

Initially funded via a public crowdfunding campaign with The Big Give, the pilot year of Burton Futures has supported neary 500 children from nine rural schools to engage with art in new ways. There are now plans to build on the success of the programme by expanding into artwork loans to schools and mobile museums, working directly with teachers on shaping and fundraising for the project.

Harriet Cooper, Director, The Burton at Bideford, said:

“Receiving a Freelands Award 2026 is a huge honour for The Burton at Bideford. We believe every child in Northern Devon should have free access to art and creative experiences as part of their education. Our schools’ programme, Burton Futures, has shown what is possible when we listen to teachers, work alongside schools and develop programmes that are rooted in the places where young people live and learn.

As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, this Award will help us build on that approach by continuing to listen to and learn from schools. We want young people across North Devon to see themselves as part of The Burton’s community and to grow up knowing this museum belongs to them. Whether they return as visitors, artists, volunteers, staff or trustees, they will help shape the next chapter of The Burton’s story for our future generations.”

Freelands Foundation’s mission is to champion art education. Despite the increasing pressures they face due to declining funding and rising operational costs, visual arts organisations continue to be important sites of life-long teaching and learning. This first of its kind award recognising and celebrating visual art education in the UK is the result of learnings from a decade spent supporting visual art education, during which Freelands Foundation has seen galleries, museums and visual arts organisations as spaces for inspiring and progressive art education.

The judges for the Freelands Awards 2026 are: Artistic Director, Freelands Foundation, Dr Henry Ward; broadcaster, writer and producer Gemma Cairney; artist Joy Gregory; curator and writer Jenni Lomax; and art historian and educator Dr Ben Street. Following an open call and subsequent review of a broad range of entries from galleries and art organisations of different scales and models across the UK, the judges selected a group of organisations to visit in person before deciding on the three inaugural winners, all running innovative programmes committed to and rooted in their local communities.

Dr Henry Ward, Director of Freelands Foundation and Chair of the Freelands Awards 2026 Judging Panel, said:

“Chairing the jury and having the opportunity to read about, then visit, these extraordinary organisations and projects has been an incredible privilege. We are all too familiar with the challenges facing arts education and the constant pressures on the sector. Yet the inaugural Freelands Awards winners are inspiring examples of the progressive work taking place. All three demonstrate innovative, collaborative approaches to visual arts education, working closely with their local communities, responding to the specific places in which they are situated, and creating programmes where everyone is learning. Together, they reflect the remarkable breadth of this work, engaging everyone from primary school children and teachers to young people and emerging artists. Visiting them was a joy, and the judges were inspired to see first-hand the extraordinary impact they are having. They are true beacons of hope.”

This new vision for the Freelands Awards replaces the Foundation’s previous annual award focused on enabling UK arts organisations to present an exhibition of new work by a mid-career woman artist which ran for eight editions between 2016 and 2023.

Burton at Bideford, Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ. Free entry. For more details see www.theburton.org or get in touch at info@theburton.org. 

Opening Hours:Tuesday to Saturday 10am–5pm ] Sunday 11am–4pm

Free entry  

 

Aloha from North Devon! Heanton Nursing Home gets a Hawaiian makeover

Family members at Heanton Nursing Home went to bed in North Devon and woke up to a taste of Hawaii after the home’s night team spent the night transforming their surroundings for a surprise Hawaiian Day.

While family members (residents) slept, the night team decorated the different households within Heanton with tropical decorations, grass skirts and colourful table displays, ready for everyone to discover when they woke the following morning. The celebrations were inspired by Hawaii Statehood Day, which marks Hawaii becoming the 50th US state, but at Heanton it was also an opportunity to turn an ordinary summer day into something a little different.

Hawaiian shirts had been ordered for family members who chose to dress for the occasion, while a mocktail bar returned after proving particularly popular during a previous Hawaiian-themed day at the home. Relatives also came into Heanton especially to join in with the celebrations. Some family members already had exactly the right wardrobe for the occasion, with bright colours, bold florals and tropical prints appearing from their own wardrobes!

The team were very much part of the day too, with many ordering Hawaiian shirts of their own and competing for the title of Hawaiian King or Queen. Pineapples were awarded to those who had made the greatest effort, with winners chosen from different parts of the home as well as the night team.

Home Manager Abigail Denford said: “I think what made the day particularly lovely was that it started long before everyone woke up. Our night team wanted family members to have that surprise in the morning, so they spent the night putting up all the decorations and transforming the households for them.”

By the time the decorations eventually came down, Heanton may have looked a little less tropical, but the day had shown that creating moments together is not something reserved for particular hours. Whether it is morning, afternoon or the middle of the night, there is always life happening at Heanton.

For more information about life and activities at Heanton Nursing Home, please visit Activities in Care – Heanton Nursing Home

A Career Built on Compassion, Jojo’s Story

Every person who works in care has their why. For Jojo (Joanne), House Lead at Sundial Care Home, a career in care was never just about finding a job, It was about giving something back to her community. Inspired by her two grandmothers, who both worked as auxiliary nurses at the local hospital in Ottery St Mary, caring has always been part of her life. This is her story.

Jojo joined Sundial more than nine years ago after almost leaving the care sector altogether.

"My previous care home closed after a change in ownership, and it wasn't being run well. Despite staff raising concerns, nothing changed, and I nearly decided that care wasn't for me anymore…. then I found Sundial."

"I was welcomed with open arms from my very first day. Although I already had qualifications, including my NVQ, BTEC and Diploma in Care, I wanted to start again as a Care Assistant and learn the Evolve Care Group way of caring."

Evolve Care Group offers every team member the opportunity to take part in its bespoke Evolve Care Academy. Designed to support ongoing learning and development, the programme equips team members with the skills and confidence to grow in their role and progress their career.

Since then, Jojo has progressed from Care Assistant to House Lead, later becoming a Care Practitioner and now Induction Lead, while remaining someone her team know they can rely on.

"I'll happily step into any role if I'm needed, whether that's supporting the care team or even helping with the odd maintenance job. We're all here to support each other."

Looking back, Jojo says training has shaped not only the way she provides care, but also the way she understands herself.

"One thing that has always stayed with me from the training is being asked, 'Who am I?' Learning about yourself first, through ideas like Thomas Kitwood's Flower  and understanding your own values, helps you understand the people you support even better."

Like Jojo, many team members at Sundial Care Home have been supported to progress through the Evolve Care Academy.

When asked what a typical day looks like, Jojo shared:

“There really isn't one. Of course we support family members (residents) with their daily needs, but we also have time to sit together, laugh together and simply spend time with people. Sometimes it's a group activity, sometimes it's supporting an individual to do something they enjoy, and sometimes it's just offering reassurance when someone isn't feeling themselves."

She also shared:

"That's what makes Sundial special. It's warm, homely and compassionate. We genuinely care about one another. The team feels like an extended family, and Liz, our Home Manager, has always believed in us and helped me become more confident over the years."

For Jojo, the most rewarding part of working in care has always been the relationships she builds with family members. Looking back over her nine years at Sundial, one relationship in particular continues to stay with her.

Marilyn first came to Sundial for respite care before later moving into the home permanently. Over time, Jojo and Marilyn developed a close bond.

"I had an amazing bond with Marilyn. She didn't always communicate with words, but through smiles, holding hands and simply being together. We laughed together, smiled together and sometimes cried together, especially after her beloved husband passed away."

Jojo supported Marilyn through one of the most difficult periods of her life, building a close relationship not only with Marilyn but also with her daughter, who often said Jojo was her mum's special person.

As Marilyn's health sadly declined, Jojo became one of the few people she would still accept food and drink from.

"Towards the end, she often wouldn't accept food or drinks from anyone else, but she would from me. She wasn't just someone I cared for; she became one of my closest friends."

The pair spent many evenings watching The Chase, sharing stories about their families and holidays, and looking through photographs. They even discovered they had both visited the same place in Portugal and had each swum with dolphins there.

When Marilyn passed away peacefully, Jojo later returned to that same place during a family holiday.

"I knew Marilyn would never be able to go back because of her health, so seeing the dolphins again felt like something I could do for her. It was my final goodbye."

Looking back on more than nine years at Sundial Care Home, Jojo says it's the relationships she has built that have made her career so rewarding.

"Seeing people happy, sharing laughter and knowing you've made a difference, those memories stay with you forever."

For Jojo, caring for Marilyn is just one of many moments that she will carry with her. Whether it's encouraging someone to continue doing the things they love, sharing moments of laughter, or simply being there when someone needs support, it's the privilege of becoming part of people's lives that continues to remind her why she chose a career in care, and why she stayed.

Finally, when asked to describe Sundial Care Home in just a few words, without hesitation Jojo shared:

“Rewarding. Extended family. Love and compassion.”

If you would like to learn more about a career at Sundial Care Home near Sidmouth, visit https://www.sundialcare.com/join-our-team/