Local government: Cultural strategies and futures

Aims and Context

Cultural strategies are important elements in how local authorities engage with and support the role of culture and make connections with social, economic, environmental and health and wellbeing outcomes.

The Local Government Association (LGA) Cultural strategy in a box report outlines, how 'many local councils have sought to maximise the role of culture in their approaches to place, economy and society' and that cultural strategies have been produced to 'coordinate their approach and develop a shared vision with residents and cultural partners' (2020: 4).

This theme of coordination is of particular importance in the Cultural Cities Enquiry which sets out the importance of a 'coalition of support' and the recommendation for Cultural Compacts. As this report will explore more, cultural strategies can be commissioned and created by a variety of organisations often working in partnership.

The LGA Cultural strategy in a box report defines a Cultural Compact as, 'an effective place-based partnership structure that seeks to enable places to take full advantage of their cultural resources, embed them within wider local and national strategic development plans, and contribute to inclusive growth' (2020: 8). As the Key Cities Culture and Place in Britain report considers, member cities can use their 'convening power' to develop and empower 'Cultural Compact partnerships as key drivers of their cultural strategy' and take into account 'the learnings of the Cultural Compacts and Creative People and Places evaluations' (2023: 62; see also the Arts Council England commissioned, 2020 Review of the Cultural Compacts Initiative by BOP).

Examining cultural strategies and their relation to Cultural Compacts is a priority for understanding and evaluating how to effectively position culture in relation to priority issues such as place, health and the environment.

Cultural strategies and Cultural Compacts are both deeply embedded in the specifics of an area and address common and widely identified (inter)national issues and priorities. Culture and Place in Britain (Key Cities, 2023: 62) suggested that 'looking at the overall picture, the strategies of places differ in local content and priorities but there are no big changes in overall trends between those adopted a decade ago and newly developed ones.' Whilst issues of place, health and the environment often feature within cultural strategies and the focus of Cultural Compacts, there is not a clear understanding of how this is done in different ways.

This project aimed to provide detailed insight into the varying approaches of cultural strategies in addressing these priority issues by undertaking an extensive review and thematic analysis. As indicated, a further set of broader findings and recommendations emerged of interest and significance for those creating and renewing cultural strategies.