Artsreach Crowned Winner in 2025 Muddy Stiletto Awards

Best Arts, Culture & Theatre in Dorset, Somerset & Bristol

The Muddy Stilettos Awards celebrate independent business across 35 counties throughout the UK, dividing the businesses into multiple different categories and allowing the public to vote for their winners. In its twelfth year, the 2025 Muddy Stilettos saw more than half a million votes cast, indicating that the award is a 'true reflection of quality and local support'.

Dorset based charity Artsreach were announced as winner of Best Arts, Culture & Theatre in Dorset, Somerset, and Bristol, in the regional awards last week

Founded 35 years ago, Artsreach strives to enrich the lives of people in Dorset by connecting and empowering rural communities through creative and cultural experiences and does so by working with community volunteers to present a vibrant programme of over 150 live performance, workshops and events in the heart of more than 40 villages and towns across the county.  

Kerry Bartlett, Executive Director of Artsreach said, "We are absolutely thrilled to have won the Muddy Stilettos award for Best Arts, Culture & Theatre in Dorset, Somerset, and Bristol, having been shortlisted alongside some fantastic organisations.  

This award is truly deserved by our dedicated team of community volunteers, without whom Artsreach events simply wouldn’t happen, plus our loyal audiences who support our programme and of course, the incredible touring artists and performers who keep us all entertained and inspired creatively. We are so very proud that what this incredible network achieves, and which so often goes under the radar, has been recognised in this way, and would like to thank everyone who voted. Keep your fingers crossed for us at the National Awards - we hope to do Dorset proud!" 

Following last weeks’ announcement by Muddy Stilettos, Regional Winners from every category will automatically go through to the National Finals, where Muddy Stilettos Editors will then judge who is the ‘Best of the Best’, announcing the National Winners for each category on 25 June 2025.

Artsreach is supported by Arts Council England and Dorset Council, and in 2024-25 alone, the charity invested over £94,500 in artistic fees, showing significant support to the creative and cultural sector with a programme that reached over 11,000 audiences and participants. Over £32,000 was raised and retained by Dorset communities through Artsreach events and, with almost half of audiences travelling less than 4 miles to attend, over 90% of those surveyed agree that Artsreach helps to reduce loneliness and isolation in rural communities; something which the charity is very proud of.