Whitesburg, Kentucky
Impact Report | March 2025
Local lead partner:
Cowan Community Center, Valerie Horn and Steven Ruth
General update
Musically, there continues to be more and more live music being presented in the county around Whitesburg, and in Whitesburg itself. This has really grown in the last year. While there is no increase in the number of venues, there is an uptick in people working to present music in public venues, for example, on outdoor stages. There are also a couple of public park facilities in nearby towns that also seem to be picking up musically, in line with this trend in Whitesburg itself.
The local music scene remains strong. While many musicians originate from the traditional mountain music, bluegrass and country scene, there are a lot of people outside of this. For example, there is a burgeoning hardcore and punk scene.
Whitesburg was the location of a tragic incident in September 2024 whereby the Sheriff walked into the judge’s chamber and shot and killed the judge. The Presbyterian Church subsequently funded some trauma and disaster relief work in the area, supporting those present in the courthouse at the time. This support will include music therapy, and community lunches, with a focus on mental health. A harpist is already confirmed, and they and other musicians and music therapists will also participate in a special series of concerts in the Presbyterian Church itself.
Whitesburg continues to prioritize diverse programmes and line- ups, designed to speak to small populations and small pockets of the community, so that they will see high quality music and strong representation of diverse voices on the stage.
Specific impact from MPRN
Applied and were chosen from the Levitt team to get a safety audit inline with the accessibility work which was done on MPRN. This focuses on safety for audiences, hazards and barriers to entry. Through the MPRN work, more light was shone on this and a much broader understanding of what accessibility means was achieved – it is much more than wheelchair accessibility.
Awarded a Division of Water grant for infrastructure to allow steps to be built on the site of the concerts. People fall here almost weekly, and now this is going to be repaired, as well as allowing direct access from the audience area through to the farmers market. This is a direct result of the safety audit.
Engagement and relevance of the work
Whitesburg reports great enthusiasm for the masterclasses. They are only able to participate in a limited way, but they are delighted to remain involved.