Case studies

How can officers help to position the arts, culture and heritage within their council’s priorities? Polly Hamilton, Assistant Director, Culture, Sport and Tourism, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council shares her thoughts.

The idea of reading to a dog originated in America. Alison Tutill had seen some research carried out by BookTrust and thought it would be something we could offer in libraries.

The Reading Abbey Revealed project and the creation of the Abbey Quarter is Reading’s most ambitious heritage project for a decade.

In lockdown, when Arts Centres in Stamford, Grantham and Bourne had to suddenly close their doors, it meant that many self-employed artists and performers lost their bookings/work and so were no longer able to generate an income.

Community engagement through art and celebrating local heritage have been critical to the success of a £7m leisure refurbishment programme in North Kesteven.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich has a rich heritage, with a unique place in maritime history and a global profile through the Greenwich meridian. 2018 was a record year for visitor numbers, when the borough received 19 million visits made up of a mix of London, UK and international visitors.

The visitor economy sector continues to play a key role in the economy of the borough. Whilst Scarborough still has many structural challenges to face, it equally has a lot to offer the visitor including 45 miles of heritage coastline, the North York Moors National Park, the resorts of Filey, Whitby and Scarborough, year-round events and festivals, which celebrate the essence of the Yorkshire Coast, and a developing food and drink offer.

Shropshire Libraries, in partnership with public health deliver a myriad of social prescribing opportunities across the county, including 150 reading groups taking place in people’s homes, in libraries and sometimes even pubs.

Collaborating with Children’s Services in the LGA Family Hubs Peer Review, Dorset Library Service began to explore how we could develop our contribution to the Best Start in Life* and Dorset Council’s: Our Children, Young People’s and Families Plan 2020-2023.

Sheffield’s diverse freelance artists and creatives were seriously impacted by Covid lockdowns and the cancellation of arts events. National government support was often not available to them.