Councillor Janet Emsley scoops national award for supporting the arts

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for a safer and more inclusive community at Rochdale Borough Council

Councillor Janet Emsley has been awarded the ‘Best Arts Champion – Councillor’ by Hearts for the Arts for her committed and energetic support of the arts in Rochdale.

The Littleborough Lakeside councillor was shortlisted for the award last month, and Dippy the Dinosaur’s visit to Rochdale was also shortlisted for Best Arts Project.
 

Read more: Dippy's visit to Rochdale shortlisted for Hearts for the Arts Award 2021Published: 15 January 2021

Discussing Councillor Janet Emsley’s work, the judges said: “Janet sounds like an incredibly passionate and dedicated champion of the arts in Rochdale. Her vital role in ensuring the Dippy Tour came to Rochdale shows the huge impact her work has on her community. I was really impressed by the myriad of ways Janet made valuable contributions and her willingness to adapt to whatever task needed doing.

“It’s great to see that such an economically-deprived area has someone like Janet who fights for the arts so doggedly. I’m sure she is instrumental in opening up creativity, increasing positive mental health, and sparking inspiration in communities who have not had much access to the arts before.” 

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for a safer and more inclusive community at Rochdale Borough Council, said: "I'm delighted and honoured to have been recognised by Hearts for the Arts and its esteemed panel of judges. I'm also pleased that the Dippy project was shortlisted; the team delivered a memorable experience; the judges' feedback was wonderful and made us very proud.

"Arts and culture are incredibly important. They enrich everyone’s lives and have a critical impact on their mental and physical health and wellbeing, which is always important, but even more so at present.

“That's why I'm so pleased that organisations like Hearts for the Arts are keeping them at the forefront. We will always champion arts and culture in Rochdale borough."

The awards celebrate the unsung heroes of local authorities who are championing the arts against all odds.

Nominations were received from across the UK for each of the three award categories. Despite the incredible hardships faced by local authorities in 2020, this year's awards have seen the NCA receive a record-breaking number of nominations, as local communities turned to the arts for solace, strength and connectivity during the pandemic.