Case studies

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

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.

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.

Palmer Park library in East Reading supports a range of students, including learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities at nearby Reading College (run by Activate Learning) to gain, develop and improve customer service skills, offering a way of gaining skills in a real life environment, whilst ensuring that a public library service can still be sustainably provided.

As a High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ), Reading Borough Council was awarded a £85,000 grant from Historic England to create and deliver community-led cultural activities on the high street over the next three years.

Showtown worked with youth organisation HeadStart and professional comedians to deliver Open Up the Mic, a 12-week course supporting young people aged 10-15 to develop their resilience, performance skills and confidence.

Open House is a long-term creative collaboration between Kettle’s Yard art gallery and its neighbouring communities in North Cambridge. What initially started as an audience development programme resulted in broader impact developing pride, a sense of place, a reduction in social isolation and improved wellbeing.

The North Yorkshire authorities have submitted a live case study, capturing their work so far to bring together the culture, leisure and sport provisions and strategies of their eight authorities as part of local government reorganisation.

In 2020, North East Lincolnshire Council were successful in receiving a solicited grant of £250,000 from National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) in support of building capacity and driving engagement in an Area of Focus.