A new arts project has been launched in Fenland thanks to a £19,000 grant.

The new arts colony residency, The Frontier Zone, has been set up in at St Peter’s Lodge at Wisbech and is curated by Aid and Abet, an artist group from Cambridge.

The purpose of the residency, which has been made possible thanks to £19,000 worth of lottery funding through Arts Council England and Cambridgeshire County Council, is to give three artists time and space away from their usual environment for reflection, research, production or presentation.

Father Paul West from St Peter and St Paul’s Church helped drive through the bid and had the vision to bring something new and exciting to Wisbech.

MP Steve Barclay, who helped secure the funding, said: “This is a truly innovative project that has national recognition thanks to the Arts Council link and it will hopefully open up opportunities for further grants in the future.

“The arts are important and it is vital that people living in Fenland have the chance to access them.

“This community-based project will hopefully provide inspiration for generations to come. Artists will be living and working in the town, creating art based on Wisbech and its community and I look forward to seeing just what they produce.

“I congratulate Father Paul West for having the vision to drive the bid forward and helping to put Wisbech on the arts map and wish Aid & Abet every success in making the pilot scheme a success.”

Following a nationwide appeal from Aid & Abet three artists: Paul Johnson, Anna Crystal Stephens and Lois Williams were selected and they will work within the local community to explore Wisbech and draw inspiration from its communities and histories.

A series of talks and events will accompany the residency to introduce the artists and their work to the public.

The residency is supported by St Peter and St Paul’s Parish Church, the Wisbech and Fenland Museum, the Wisbech Institute and Metal Peterborough.

It will run from September 6 to 28 and aims to increase awareness of contemporary art in Wisbech and will support some of the aims of the Wisbech 2020 Vision.