A grant of more than £35,000 is set to help Swaffham celebrate Howard Carter - the Norfolk man who made one of the most significant discoveries in history.
Swaffham Town Council has been awarded £36,000 by Historic England as part of the Swaffham High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) scheme.
The project is aimed at creating and delivering a community-led cultural programme on the high street over the next year.
Swaffham is set to centre its programme on the life and work of Carter, the archaeologist who hailed from the town and famously discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings almost a century ago.
Judy Anscombe, the mayor of Swaffham, said: “Swaffham Town Council are pleased to receive this grant from Historic England and looks forward to working with Swaffham Cultural Consortium and its partners in delivering this exciting programme.
"The generous support from Historic England will allow us to engage with many organisations and our growing community in a cultural programme, which will commence with events in 2022 to celebrate the centenary of Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
"From the many activities and events planned, the programme’s legacy will be to gain new skills and friendships across all age groups, and to highlight the heritage of the Market Place as a tourist base.”
Swaffham HSHAZ is one of more than 60 high streets to receive a share of £6m.
Activities will include an interactive drama production about Howard Carter, created by year 9 students and children from Swaffham primary schools, which will be performed within the HSHAZ area.
Moreover, a mosaic of a pyramid will be created to commemorate Carter's work in Egypt, while school children will carry out their own archaeological dig.
Another highlight will be a festival weekend in September, with more information to announced in the coming months.
Led by Historic England in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the High Street Heritage Action Zones Cultural Programme is a four-year-long initiative.
Tony Calladine, regional director for Historic England in the east, called the programme a "step change in the way we think about bringing high streets back from the brink."
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