December 2022
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This conference focused on the role of arts and culture in the Government’s focus on economic growth and the new administration’s approach to policy aimed at levelling up regions and communities across the UK - including next steps for support and funding.
Policymakers, funders and stakeholders discussed priorities and opportunities in the context of:
- Arts Council England’s (ACE) Priority Places and Levelling Up for Culture Places programme - with plans for investment and engagement with urban and rural localities across the country
- the Government’s Levelling Up Fund - with £4.8bn of investment that includes support for culture and heritage
- the LGA’s Independent Commission on Culture and Local Government - which looked at councils’ investment in culture and maximising its contribution to economic growth
- a number of incidents of direct action by advocacy and protest groups targeting works of art and cultural institutions
We are pleased to have been able to include keynote sessions from Emma Squire, Director of Arts, Heritage and Tourism, DCMS; Laura Dyer, Deputy Chief Executive, Places, Engagement & Libraries, Arts Council England; and Professor Christopher Smith, Executive Chair, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UKRI.
Areas for discussion included:
- pride in local places: the way forward for encouraging pride and local identity - engaging with local populations - the role of arts and cultural facilities in supporting local economies
- case studies: allocation of funds - approaches to engaging with audiences - developing world class facilities and innovating cultural institutions - building national and global profile
- investment: identifying and rejuvenating cultural facilities with potential for economic success - improving access to funding
- policy: priorities for the Government under the new prime minister - next steps following the most recent round of funding - developing support mechanisms for the sector around the UK
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside policy officials who attended from the DCMS; Department for Communities, NI; the DIT; Ofcom; and the Welsh Government - as well as parliamentary pass holders from both Houses of Parliament.
