North Kesteven is an unspoilt, rural district south of the historic city of Lincoln, a quiet haven in the heart of Lincolnshire attracting 2.2 million visitors a year. Key attractions include Sleaford’s National Centre for Craft and Design (NCCD), Whisby Natural World Centre, Cogglesford Watermill, Heckington Windmill and a variety of important aviation heritage attractions including Cranwell Aviation Heritage Museum, Navigation House and a popular airfield trail.
North Kesteven hosts several active RAF bases and the annual Waddington International Airshow, attracts over 120,000 visitors. RAF Cranwell is the RAF training college where all officers and aircrew are selected and trained. The college also has responsibility for all RAF recruiting and initial training and is a famous landmark in RAF history. RAF Digby is an important signals site for all three armed services. Home to the Joint Service Signals Organisation, the station is alternately commanded by a British Army Colonel or RAF Group Captain. Throughout the district, aviation memorials, museums and visitor centres commemorate the key role Lincolnshire played in the development of aviation during the Great War 1914-18 and of course later, in World War II, with the vital role played by Bomber Command.
The NCCD is the largest venue in England entirely dedicated to the exhibition, celebration, support and promotion of national and international contemporary craft and design. Under one roof, their five gallery spaces showcase up to 20 world-class exhibitions every year from the most innovative, challenging and accomplished artists to new and emerging talent. Their stimulating learning programme inspires people of all ages, skills and interest levels and our shop is a cultural haven for the latest contemporary handmade products. They are also home to Design-Nation, one of the UK’s leading professional development organisations for British designer-makers and artsNK, the country’s largest rural arts development agency that specialises in visual and performing arts projects.
From the 1 October 2018 artsNK merged with The National Centre for Craft and Design. The aim of NCCD and artsNK is to deliver high quality exhibitions and community arts programmes to Sleaford, North Kesteven and the wider community. Their Dance team deliver and develop dance opportunities throughout Lincolnshire, initiating high quality dance projects in schools, the community, leisure centres and at outdoor events such as local festivals. Their visual arts programme includes, education interventions in schools and university, arts and heritage trails, public realm projects, festivals and exhibitions and working with communities to develop projects, and provide people with tasters of particular techniques. They also produce festivals and work within communities to develop festivals.
The Terry O’Toole Theatre is an intimate, 200 seat Arts Theatre situated in North Hykeham. Described as a ‘Hidden gem’ by BBC Radio Lincolnshire, they present a vibrant, high quality programme of professional drama, music, dance and children’s theatre, complemented by a vibrant range of community and hire performances. As well as performances, they deliver a lively participation programme, including LOV Young People’s Project sessions, Folk and Community Music workshops and ACTion Community Theatre.
Sleaford Playhouse was restored to a working Theatre in 2000 and has had a varied history. Originally built as a theatre, it was subsequently adapted for a variety of other uses to meet the demands of the time, and is now once more being used for its original purpose. Sleaford Little Theatre bought the Playhouse in 1994 with intent to restore the building to its original use. A nucleus of enthusiastic members worked hard on the project to provide the town once more with its very own theatre venue. The newly restored Playhouse opened its doors to the public in October 2000, thus once more becoming a working Georgian Theatre, one of only six remaining in the country and out of those six two are with a small, rectangular auditorium. The Playhouse is proving to be a favourite venue for a wide variety of other entertainment too, from local bands and solo artists to professional touring theatre companies and musicians.
