LeftCoast: Place Governance and Partnerships

LeftCoast is one of over twenty Creative People and Places programmes funded by Arts Council England. It was established as an innovative public/private partnership and brings together a wide range of partners including Blackpool Coastal Housing, Blackpool Council, Wyre Council, Merlin Entertainments, and the Grand Theatre Blackpool.

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Top tips for developing new partnerships

• Allow plenty of time for staff development, especially when partners are diverse and come from a non-arts background.
• Employ directors/team earlier in the process to be part of the business planning stage.
• Aim to embed sustainability amongst partners by co-developing a partnership agreement.
• Be forward thinking and ensure partners always have the 10 year vision in mind.
• Use partners’ existing networks to build capacity and buy-in of local creative people and the community.
• Effective communication and language is very important to make the right connections with audiences and partners from other sectors and backgrounds. Avoid using industry and ‘arty’ speak and focus on selling the experience.

Read the case study in full 

Creative People and Places is an Arts Council England funding programme which focuses on parts of the country where involvement in creativity and culture is significantly below the national average. More.