Local cultural decision making in 'left-behind areas'

Insight Paper

Author

Culture Commons

Description

This insight paper explores the realities of cultural decision-making in the UK’s so-called “left-behind places,” drawing on a national roundtable with local leaders, funders and policymakers convened by Culture Commons in partnership with Local Trust and Arts Council England. It examines how years of underinvestment, fragile infrastructure and low civic capacity have shaped the creative, cultural and heritage ecosystems of deprived areas, while also highlighting the pride, creativity and resilience that persist within them. The paper captures tensions around the language of “left-behind,” the challenges of building trust and co-production with communities, and the importance of long-term, revenue-backed collaboration across tiers of governance. It concludes with policy implications for ensuring future devolution and cultural funding reforms actively empower, rather than overlook, these communities.

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

August 2024