Insight Paper
Partners
British Council
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch)
Author
Culture Commons
Description
This insight paper captures international perspectives on local cultural decision-making, drawing on a high-level roundtable co-convened by Culture Commons, the British Council and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch). Contributors from Canada, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands and beyond shared models for multi-tier governance, citizen participation and equitable cultural policy. The paper highlights how cities worldwide are experimenting with new forms of cultural democracy — from participatory budgeting and residents’ councils to partnerships that bridge local and global institutions — and examines what the UK can learn as it deepens its own devolution journey. It calls for stronger international exchange, re-imagined institutions, and a renewed focus on creativity as a driver of trust, inclusion and social transformation.
Published as part of the The Future of Cultural Devolution in the UK.
October 2024