Helping you to achieve your cultural and creative potential through shared visions, strategic plans and new policies
Strategy and Policy Design
BOP enables clients to achieve their cultural and creative potential by designing new strategic approaches and policies. Creating a shared vision lies at the heart of our approach so this is the keystone of any plan or strategy.
We work at all levels, from local creative organisations or clusters, to regeneration agencies, and Mayors, to regional and national governments. We work in many ways: through commissions and enquiries, stakeholder consultations, advice to ministers and mayors, comparative policy analysis, advice on legislation, exchange and knowledge platforms.
Our Approach
Our approach is always rooted firmly in evidence and an understanding of the dynamics of a particular place or organisation. For this we draw on our depth of knowledge and experience in research and evaluation. In many cases strategy and policy design follow on from work we have done to demonstrate the potential of culture and creativity to local stakeholders.
The next step in the process is to bring stakeholders together and to align them around a set of common objectives. This is an ongoing and iterative process.
Our mantra is ‘Ask not what others can do for culture, ask what culture can do for others.’ In other words, the best way to galvanise stakeholders and unlock investment is to embed culture and creativity into broader plans for sustainable growth and development.
Relevance
This process of alignment is even more important in the post-COVID age, where climate action and social justice are now at the forefront of many planning and investment decisions.
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Visitor experience
We use our expertise to help cultural organisations and capital projects optimise their visitor experience including operational planning and delivery, business development, contract development, retail, and catering.
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Business and operational planning
Whether it is an individual cultural organisation or a public agency we create business and operational plans for established as well as new entities or initiatives.
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Scenario planning
At this time of radical uncertainty we use scenario planning techniques to analyse the drivers of change, identify risks and opportunities, develop options, and plan for a range of situations.
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Sector and cluster strategies
We devise strategies for sectors at a national and local level. Our national level work is related closely to policy design. We have a particular expertise in devising local cluster strategies which are rooted in local circumstance but respond to the wider global forces shaping the industry.
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Policy design
We work with policy-makers, funders, investors, and sector leaders to design new policies, which help to foster growth in the cultural sector. This can be on the level of advocacy, funding, partnerships, or legislation.
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Cultural and creative strategies – for cities and regions
We devise cultural and creative strategies for cities and regions, often building on the insights generated from our research and mapping work. Our approach is open, consultative, and vision-driven, with an emphasis on unlocking resources and investment, and achieving maximum impact by aligning culture and creativity with wider social, economic, and environmental imperatives.
Our Services
Strategy and Policy Design


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Featured Projects
Strategy and Policy Design
Through our work managing and leading the World Cities Culture Forum and through projects in Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia, our work has set the agenda for some of the most pressing urban cultural policy opportunities and challenges of the day.
Leveraging the creative potential of Downtown Kingston through technology
Our strategy will guide the creation of a new digital service aiming at supporting and developing the creative scene in Downtown Kingston.
Inter-American Development Bank - IDB
Building a global cultural city
Assisting Chengdu to assesses its cultural position internationally and where opportunities lay
Chengdu Media Group
Planning for a New Concert Hall
Our work helped unlock £1 million in government funding for London Symphony Orchestra.
The City of London
A digital strategy for Asia Art Archive
Ensuring the online archives are open and accessible.
Asia Art Archive (AAA)
International strategy for the UK's creative industries
We built a strategy around seven key ideas to double the value of UK creative exports from £15bn to £30 bn
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)
Options appraisal and business plan for Kettle's Yard
Our work helped pave the way for an application to Arts Council England for funding. Kettle’s Yard secured £3.65 million towards redevelopment of their gallery exhibiting contemporary and modern art.
Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge
Strategy development for a world-famous cultural foundation
Ensuring that the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s activities are aligned with their overall aims
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Sustainable cultural infrastructure development in China
Supporting sustainable approaches to museum and performing arts infrastructure
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)
Creative and Cultural Industries and Urban Revitalisation in the post-COVID era
BOP’s updated Handbook for the Inter-American Development Bank sets out strategies for sustainability and urban resilience
Inter-American Development Bank - IDB
Cultural Infrastructure for the 21st Century
How is China influencing the future of Cultural Tourism?
Chengdu Media Group
Sharing Operations and Visitor Experience insight
UK-wide study of visitor experience practice provides new benchmarks for cultural and visitor attractions
VE:Forum
An evidence-base for the growing Gulf festivals sector
New skills research in the Gulf Co-operation Council States
British Council
Our strategy will guide the creation of a new digital service aiming at supporting and developing the creative scene in Downtown Kingston.
Leveraging the creative potential of Downtown Kingston through technology
Inter-American Development Bank - IDB
Assisting Chengdu to assesses its cultural position internationally and where opportunities lay
Building a global cultural city
Chengdu Media Group
Our work helped unlock £1 million in government funding for London Symphony Orchestra.
Planning for a New Concert Hall
The City of London
Ensuring the online archives are open and accessible.
A digital strategy for Asia Art Archive
Asia Art Archive (AAA)
We built a strategy around seven key ideas to double the value of UK creative exports from £15bn to £30 bn
International strategy for the UK's creative industries
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)
Our work helped pave the way for an application to Arts Council England for funding. Kettle’s Yard secured £3.65 million towards redevelopment of their gallery exhibiting contemporary and modern art.
Options appraisal and business plan for Kettle's Yard
Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge
Ensuring that the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s activities are aligned with their overall aims
Strategy development for a world-famous cultural foundation
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Supporting sustainable approaches to museum and performing arts infrastructure
Sustainable cultural infrastructure development in China
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)
BOP’s updated Handbook for the Inter-American Development Bank sets out strategies for sustainability and urban resilience
Creative and Cultural Industries and Urban Revitalisation in the post-COVID era
Inter-American Development Bank - IDB
How is China influencing the future of Cultural Tourism?
Cultural Infrastructure for the 21st Century
Chengdu Media Group
UK-wide study of visitor experience practice provides new benchmarks for cultural and visitor attractions
Sharing Operations and Visitor Experience insight
VE:Forum
New skills research in the Gulf Co-operation Council States
An evidence-base for the growing Gulf festivals sector
British Council
SELECTED CLIENTS
For over 25 years, BOP has grown a dynamic global community of interest driven by a belief in the transformational power of culture and the creative industries. We have worked in over 50 countries with clients from international agencies to national and regional government departments, to city Mayors and regeneration bodies, and individual cultural and creative businesses.









Featured Articles
Strategy and Policy Design
November 4, 2021, 11:00:00 PM
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
Paul Owens
September 23, 2020, 12:00:00 AM
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
August 21, 2020, 12:00:00 AM
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
Paul Owens
July 30, 2020, 12:00:00 AM
The UK’s £1.57 billion recovery package: priorities for a New Deal
COVID-19: Government support packages for culture and creative industries #2
Paul Owens
July 20, 2020, 12:00:00 AM
Cities are using their unique capabilities to lead recovery and renewal
COVID-19: Cities, Culture and the 3 ‘P’s: powers, partnerships, place
Paul Owens
July 7, 2020, 12:00:00 AM
Investing in recovery, planning for transformation
COVID-19: Government support packages for culture and creative industries #1
Paul Owens
ABOUT US
EXPERTISE
A global research and consulting practice for culture and the creative economy
World Cities Culture Report 2014
JOB TITLE
This report examines the cultural offer of 24 of the world’s greatest cities. It gathers evidence on 60 cultural indicators, assessing both the supply of and demand for culture, and reports on the thinking of cultural policymakers in those places.
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Culture Counts: New Approaches to Evidence Based Cultural Policymaking
in World Cities
JOB TITLE
This Case Guide is co-produced with the participating cities of WCCF. All of the city examples in this document are presented as ‘use cases’ of cultural data in which we highlight relevant questions and outcomes, and direct readers to further readings.
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
The Green World Cities of Tomorrow: Culture and Sustainability – Special Report Prepared for WCCF Global Conversation
JOB TITLE
The report published by the World Cities Culture Forum looks at how major cities around the world are responding to climate change through cultural policies and programmes.
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
World Cities Culture Report 2018
JOB TITLE
This is the most comprehensive report ever published about culture and the role it plays in shaping life in major cities worldwide. The report is based on extensive data and practice research to reveal how 35 major global cities are in the vanguard of policymaking.
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Culture and climate change handbook for city leaders
JOB TITLE
How can cities integrate environmental sustainability into cultural policymaking? Our new Handbook for City Leaders, highlights the role of culture in addressing the most important global challenge of the twenty-first century.
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Making Space for Culture – A Handbook for City Leaders
JOB TITLE
Our new ‘Making Space for Culture’ handbook for City Leaders explores how world cities across the globe are answering this question, from San Francisco to Shenzhen.
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
World Cities Culture Finance Report
JOB TITLE
Our World Cities Culture Finance Report, is the first global comparative study to examine how much is spent on culture in world cities, by whom, and where the money goes.
World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)
Creative Industries A Toolkit for Cities and Regions
JOB TITLE
The Creative Industries toolkit highlights examples of how creative industries have created economic, social and cultural benefits in different regions, and identifies steps to ensure these benefits are fully realised across the UK.
Creative Industries Council