About us

Vibrant communities

The arts have a major part to play in helping to galvanise community engagement and participation in planning, and in creating a sense of identity and pride.

The next 15 years will see the largest programme of house building since the second world war. This offers an opportunity to plan arts and other cultural facilities and opportunities into the fabric of such communities from the start.

Artists' role

Artists have a key role of envisioning, designing and bringing creative and imaginative propositions to the public realm in general, beyond designing and constructing housing.

Imaginative and pioneering artists and arts organisations have often worked in non-established arts settings. They build partnerships, for example in health, regeneration and criminal justice sectors. This work changes and improves lives on a daily basis, affecting:

  • crime prevention
  • well-being
  • how people feel about the communities they live in

The place of the arts in creating living, vibrant communities is now widely understood. We want to build on the increased recognition within government departments to make these benefits more widely available.

Providing cultural opportunities

We will continue to work closely with government on regeneration. We will work with partners in national and local government so this renewal programme gives people:

  • cultural facilities they can use
  • cultural activities they value
  • the means to fulfil their creative and cultural needs in their communities

We will also:

  • collaborate on national and local planning
  • advise on best practice
  • make both artists and planners aware of mutual opportunities for joint working
  • seek to create opportunities locally for sustained cultural provision for the future
Action
  • With other cultural agencies, implement our agreement with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to shape policies and programmes to properly embed culture into sustainable communities
  • In partnership with the DCMS, DCLG and local authorities, improve cultural provision in the places experiencing housing-led growth and that have been historically least well served, and where there is most opportunity for cultural development

Our other priorities:


Performance and delivery
Planning for the future - public value