More creativity, for more people, in more places

We’ve awarded £17.5 million over the next four years to 13 places identified as having some of the lowest engagement with arts and culture in the country. In fact, due to the exceptionally high standard of applications we received, we’ve made an additional £ 5 million available from our National Lottery contingency budget in order to make this figure of investment. From Barrow to Basildon, partnerships of local arts organisations, community groups, businesses and education providers have come together to work with local residents in choosing, creating and taking part in the arts and culture on offer to them.

They’ll be joining our 21 existing Creative People and Places projects, who have achieved over 3 million engagements since the programme launched in 2013. Most importantly, the evidence shows us that the people taking part are from groups who might not ordinarily engage with arts and culture. So, what about Creative People and Places (CPP) is working and what might the new programmes be thinking about?

Recipe for success

Although activity happening locally is key, we know it isn’t just about location. Some Creative People and Places had activity happening in their area before CPP arrived, but when households were surveyed in the Active Lives questionnaire it was found that they were still low-engaged places when it came to art and culture. Communities having a say in the type of activity they want to see or experience is important, as is work that is meaningful and relevant to those communities.

That’s evident in some of the fantastic and moving examples I’ve witnessed in our existing Places. Creative Scene supported an opera, The Batley Variations, in St Mary’s Social Club which told stories of everyday life in Batley and was performed by residents; Creative Black Country worked with Desi Pubs where pub landlords opened their doors to seven artists who helped share their stories and reimagined pub signs; and Appetite Stoke supported the community to curate the Big Feast Festival. Heart of Glass’s Baa Baa Baric Have You Any Pull is a 12 year long collaboration between artist Mark Storer and the people of St Helen’s – 12 years being the gap in life expectancy between men in St Helens and elsewhere in the UK.

Every CPP is different, but at its best Creative People and Places puts people at the centre. It gives control to people: they make the decisions; they decide what they want to see or experience on their own terms and bring the richness of their own lives to it. It isn’t starting from a premise that people need improving; that a bit of culture will make them healthier, more employable, or better citizens. At their best, CPPs really listen and respond authentically and when people are genuinely listened to all kinds of surprising outcomes follow.

Partnerships and peer learning

Creative People and Places is also characterised by the unusual partnerships it relies on, from rugby clubs and housing associations to haulage firms and a food bank. It’s exciting to have so many new places and partners joining the programme, including Rotherham, Wellingborough, Havering, Barrow, Middlesbrough/Redcar, Sedgemoor and many more. They also include new partners like Keele University; Black Country Living Museum; Bridgewater Senior Citizens Forum; and Keighley Association Women and Children’s Centre.

It will take a little while for everyone to get up and running: these are entirely new projects starting from scratch and we know time is key in establishing authentic partnerships, listening to communities and putting things into action. We’ve also funded the Peer Learning programme for a further two years so CPP programmes will have the opportunity to share what they’re doing and learn from each other.

We know it’s worth the effort; when you get that magic mix of communities, art and culture – lives and places can change.