Case studies

How can officers help to position the arts, culture and heritage within their council’s priorities? Sue Thiedeman, Head of Culture and Visitor Economy, Barnsley Council, shares her thoughts.

Portsmouth City Council has led or supported cultural investment over two decades to transform closed naval sites into a major visitor and employment hub. This case study forms part of the Value of culture - regeneration section of our online Culture Hub.

In Blackpool, 128 local residents worked with professional artists to create the Blackpool Treasure Trove, a heritage resource of seven pop-up museums.

Artists are working in libraries and children’s centres to develop their creative practice for babies and their families.

Barnsley Museums adopted two unloved Listed red phone boxes in the town centre and transformed them into works of art telling stories of the town’s heritage with words by the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.

Pioneering Places was a partnership between cultural organisations and multiple councils across Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Ramsgate.

The Active Westminster Physical Activity Referral Scheme (PARs) is delivered by Everyone Health in partnership with Westminster City Council’s leisure contractors Everyone Active, and was previously known as the Exercise Referral Scheme.

Southwark Council identified and enabled the transformation of an underused multi-storey car park into a major cultural and creative hub and workspace. This case study forms part of the Value of culture - regeneration section of our online Culture Hub.

In April 2005, a number of local authorities in England embarked on a two-year pilot programme, jointly initiated by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The aim was to highlight innovation, learning and transferability in using culture to support partnership working in the shared priority areas.

While parks and open spaces became a place of refuge and respite for the general public during lockdown, parks staff at Rugby were focused on supporting the delivery of essential services.