Cultural strategies and local cultural decision making

Research Paper

Partners

Centre for Cultural Value (University of Leeds)

Author

Dr John Wright (University of Leeds)

Editor

Trevor MacFarlane (Culture Commons)

Description

This research paper investigates how local cultural strategies are evolving within England’s shifting policy and governance landscape. It explores how such strategies can function as frameworks that integrate cultural investment with economic planning, health and wellbeing, education and spatial regeneration. Through comparative analysis, the paper shows how culture increasingly acts as connective tissue between local growth priorities and national policy missions. It argues that effective strategies must move beyond tokenistic statements of intent towards data-informed, mission-oriented and outcomes-based approaches that embed culture within wider systems of public value. The paper calls for improved evaluation methodologies, cross-sector collaboration, and consistent local–national dialogue to ensure cultural strategies are recognised as critical instruments of place-based governance and accountability in the era of devolution.

Published as part of The Future of Cultural Devolution in the UK.

July 2024