Arts and Culture Strategy 2024 to 2029 consultation

Consultation closes: 21 July 2024
Consultation opened: 29 April 2024

This is our first Arts and Culture Strategy, developed in partnership with organisations across the cultural sector.

It outlines our priorities and objectives for a strong and vibrant cultural offer, developing the arts and culture sector to ensure it meets the needs of our residents over the next 5 years.

The development of this strategy has involved a range of partners, organisations, locations, and venues, including culture and arts providers, museums, practitioners, heritage organisations, town and parish councils, our own service teams, freelance creatives, artists, and producers.

The strategy provides information on provision, needs, and priorities within Central Bedfordshire and seeks to provide the evidence needed to help partners to secure grant funding from national and local funding bodies such as Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Historic England.

Arts and cultural activities are also delivered within and through our libraries. This area of work is being consulted on separately.

Our vision

At the heart of the strategy lies our vision: 

Central Bedfordshire: where arts and culture thrive and communities flourish.

We aim to encourage a vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape in Central Bedfordshire that enriches the lives of its residents, fosters community cohesion, improves wellbeing, nurtures artistic excellence, and drives economic growth.

Who is this strategy for?

The strategy has been created to support the cultural sector and communities within Central Bedfordshire via a range of partners, organisations, locations, and venues, including: 

• all venues offering arts and culture
• culture and arts providers
• museums
• festivals
• touring companies
• heritage organisations
• professional arts organisations
• practitioners
• libraries
• freelance creatives
• artists and producers
• town and parish councils