March newsletter – And the winner is….

Start discovering Thurrock’s spookiest stories!

There’s something in the air at Coalhouse Fort… and it’s all thanks to some brilliantly eerie local storytelling.

We’re delighted to announce the winners of the Coalhouse Fort Ghost Story Competition, where residents were invited to create their own haunting tales inspired by this historic Thames-side setting.

In the Family Friendly Spooking Around category, congratulations go to Vienna Moon for her story ‘Little Gloria and the Shadow Man’. Vienna, who lives in Corringham, shared her love of creativity, Halloween and visiting Coalhouse Fort – all of which shine through in her atmospheric writing.

And in the Scare the Grown-Ups! category, Leanne Drain takes the prize for ‘The Three Shadows of My Bad Dreams’. Inspired by her granddad, Leanne has been writing since the age of 12 and brings real passion and emotion to her work.

Image: Winners Vienna and Leanne receiving their prize from Becky at the Engine Room Cafe (c) Roxie Curry

Both winners received a £25 voucher for the Engine Tea Room and, even better, their stories will be professionally recorded as part of the Coalhouse Fort Commission, meaning their words will echo around the Fort for years to come.

Green Light 2026 – our biggest yet

Green Light 2026 has officially wrapped up and it’s safe to say this year’s programme was bigger, busier and more joyful than ever before.

Over two weeks, 528 people took part in creative activities across Thurrock – a huge 62% increase compared with last year. In total, audience numbers more than doubled compared to 2025, with 861 tickets given out for free.

Across 21 events in 14 venues, 35 artists worked with communities throughout the borough – from Brazilian drumming and robot racing to theatre, craft and hands-on making. And for the first time, Green Light expanded into Aveley, East Tilbury, Corringham and Stanford-le-Hope, bringing creativity even closer to people’s doorsteps.

Almost every session sold out and we even funded extra sessions for some of the most in-demand activities. The energy in each venue showed just how much appetite there is for welcoming, local cultural experiences.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along, tried something new, brought friends or family, or simply cheered from the audience.

Green Light may be over for now but there is a summer of events and activities just around the corner including poetry competitions, public art projects, high street performances and lots more. If you haven’t already, become a Super Fan to be the first to know.

Start a new Thurrock story together

What happens when a whole community creates a story together?

We’re about to find out.

The Drama Geezers are inviting families across Thurrock to help invent The Great Thurrock Story Book – and everyone is welcome to take part.

Through drama, drawing and imagination, children and grown-ups will work together to create characters, explore magical places and decide what happens next. Each session will build a new chapter of the story.

Workshops will take place on Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd April at libraries in Belhus, Aveley, East Tilbury and Corringham. Each library group will add their own twist to the adventure before everything is brought together into one big story.

The best part? Once the adventure is complete, it will be turned into a printed storybook for everyone to enjoy.

This project was made possible through our Creative Community Support (CCS) programme, supporting local creative ideas to come to life.

Spaces are free but booking is essential.

Start your journey as a Creative Producer

Are you curious about how creative projects actually happen behind the scenes?

Start Thurrock is offering a paid Creative Producer Traineeship, giving someone from Thurrock the chance to develop real-world experience working on cultural projects in the borough.

Creative producers are the people who help turn ideas into reality. They organise events, work with artists and communities, manage projects and help make sure creative activities reach the people they’re meant for.

You don’t need years of experience – just enthusiasm, curiosity and a willingness to learn.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to gain new skills, build confidence and play a role in shaping the future of creativity in Thurrock.

If you’ve ever wondered whether a career in the creative industries could be for you, this could be the perfect place to start.

Full details and application form HERE

Start bringing your creative idea to life

You have just a few weeks left to apply for our next Creative Community Support (CCS) round of funding.

If you’ve ever thought of a creative activity you know your friends and family would love, why not bring it to life?

The CCS funds local people who want to develop creative ideas, activities or projects in Thurrock.

And when we say creative, we really mean it. Past projects have included everything from Polish heritage celebrations and open music workshops to murals in care homes, ‘Paint & Sip’ evenings and even a rave designed for deaf and neurodiverse audiences.

If you’ve got an idea that could help people connect, learn something new or experience culture in a different way, we’d love to hear about it.

This year there’s one helpful new step: a short pre-application conversation before submitting your form. It’s not a test – it’s simply a chance to talk through your idea, get guidance and make sure your application is as strong as possible.

CCS is all about supporting local creativity, not creating hoops to jump through.

Take a look at the guidance and start shaping your idea today.

And, thanks, as always, for being part of the Start Thurrock community!