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Cultural Cities Enquiry
Enriching UK cities through smart investment in culture.
The purpose of this report is to consider how we can radically increase the ability of our cities to use culture to drive inclusive growth.
City of Culture projects show what can be achieved when a city pulls together in support of culture to drive lasting social and economic benefits. Launched earlier this month, the Cultural Cities Enquiry (CCE) proposes a mechanism for spreading these gains more widely across cities.
Central to this mechanism are the City Compacts for Culture. These will bring together local partners with a shared interest in maximising the civic role of culture. With Arts Minister, Michael Ellis pledging £110k in government funding to trial compacts across England, partners will work together to create and deliver a plan to drive social and economic benefits from a thriving cultural ecosystem. Compact partners will include business, universities, local authorities, the cultural sector and LEPs, and will pledge to align focus around key goals, in order to unlock new resources for cultural projects.
“The key,” according to Graeme Thompson of Sunderland University, “is to bring together partners who will commit to a shared vision around the impact that culture can make across the city.”
Compacts will determine and drive the contribution of culture to local industrial strategies and other local economic and social development plans, according to local priorities, including:
Development of Creative and Digital Clusters
Local skills strategies – growing, attracting and retaining talent
Tourism and destination management plans
Other local priorities such as health strategies, where appropriate
BOP was a member of the CCE’s working group, as well as acting as key research partner.
This is the first of a series of blogs related to findings of the CCE report. Our other blogs looked at the themes of talent, investment, and place.
New Cultural Leadership
City Compacts for Culture provide fresh direction
Feb 27, 2019
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EXPERTISE
A global research and consulting practice for culture and the creative economy
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Nov 4, 2021
How are major cities around the world responding to climate change through cultural policies and programmes?
The Green World Cities of Tomorrow: Culture and Sustainability
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Apr 22, 2021
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Culture and the Climate Emergency
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Dec 4, 2020
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Culture and the Recovery: Levelling Up Culture?
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Sep 23, 2020
This focused, coordinated set of measures can not only rescue the sector, but position it to lead the recovery
Central London’s celebrated cultural offer is in peril
Jonathan Todd
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Three big questions as applications close for Arts Council England’s Cultural Recovery Fund
COVID-19: Government support packages for culture and creative industries #3
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The UK’s £1.57 billion recovery package: priorities for a New Deal
COVID-19: Government support packages for culture and creative industries #2
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Cities are using their unique capabilities to lead recovery and renewal
COVID-19: Cities, Culture and the 3 ‘P’s: powers, partnerships, place
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Jul 7, 2020
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COVID-19: Government support packages for culture and creative industries #1
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Jun 30, 2020
Recovery and renewal will depend on how we address the three dimensions of the crisis
COVID-19 is a triple blow to culture and the creative industries
Paul Owens
Jun 3, 2020
In the face of radical uncertainty leaders and policy-makers will have to take planning and collaboration to whole a new level
‘Plans are useless, planning is essential’
Paul Owens
May 13, 2020
Nobody knows what will happen next, but we have a good idea of the three necessary steps out of the crisis
Relief, Recovery and Renewal: navigating our way to a new kind of future
Paul Owens
Dec 20, 2019
A cause for optimism
Weaving the Golden Thread into the 2020s
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By BOP Consulting
Jonathan Todd
Chief Economist
Jonathan is an economist with over a decade’s experience in impact assessment and evaluation, and high-level policy experience, particularly within the cultural and creative sectors.
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