People from Herefordshire are being encouraged to visit pioneering arts and heritage projects around the UK so they can make a difference back at home.

Herefordshire’s a Great Place has started the Go & See Bursary scheme to support the exchange of new ideas, knowledge and skills. By funding research trips to ground-breaking cultural initiatives around the UK, the scheme will help the county’s creative and cultural scene flourish.

There are 30 bursaries of between £300 and £500 available. Anyone who works or volunteers in the arts or heritage sector can apply and the bursary will cover the cost of travel and accommodation.

The Herefordshire’s a Great Place team is encouraging people from all over Herefordshire to apply, especially people and groups who might find it difficult to cover the costs themselves.

Lauren Rogers, from the Great Place team that will award bursary funding every three months, said: “Over the past nine months we’ve spoken to hundreds of creative people and local arts and heritage groups doing fantastic work in the county. If we can help them gain new skills and knowledge by supporting them to visit the best cultural initiatives the UK has to offer, we are going to see a wave of fresh ideas and projects springing up here in Herefordshire.”

Everyone who receives a bursary will have to showcase and share what they’ve learned when they return from their trip.

Lauren added: “By asking everyone to share their findings, we all play a part in helping Herefordshire’s creative and culture economy grow.”

The Go & See Bursary scheme is now open. To find out more call 01432 344039 or apply online visit www.goandseebursaries.com.

As part of the Great Place project, the Go & See Bursary scheme is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England and supported by Historic England. Herefordshire’s a Great Place is an ambitious cultural development project delivered by Rural Media on behalf of the Herefordshire Cultural Partnership.

Through grants and funding, research and public events, it is helping more people experience arts and heritage and showing how culture benefits the local economy and boosts health and wellbeing.

Follow the project on social media by searching #HfdsCulture.