Have your say on the future of arts and cultural provision in Worcester

Worcester residents are invited to have their say on a blueprint that will shape the city’s arts and cultural provision for the next five years.

Worcester City Council is seeking feedback on its draft Arts and Culture Strategy to ensure it represents the wide variety of cultural activities in the city, and people are being encouraged to give their views at www.worcester.gov.uk/voiceit.

Worcester has a well-established cultural scene, both amateur and professional, and it already hosts hundreds of events each year, from small community initiatives to major festivals that attract thousands of visitors to the city and provide a valuable boost to the economy and national profile of Worcester.

Arts and cultural activity is important as it brings communities together, contributes to jobs and prosperity, attracts visitors, and supports health and wellbeing. Many arts organisations in Worcester are key employers.

Performance venues, museums, galleries, historic buildings, libraries, and public art are core parts of the unique picture of Worcester as a home, tourist destination, and business base. The wide range of galleries, shops and studios that host, display and sell visual and applied arts provide both social and economic benefits to the city.

The aim of the strategy is to support and develop arts and culture in the city, and to set out how the City Council will secure and invest funding, and work in partnership with local organisations.

Councillor Robyn Norfolk, vice chair of the Place & Economic Development committee, said: “I would urge residents to read the draft Arts and Culture Strategy and to have their say on what happens next at www.worcester.gov.uk/voiceit. We’re looking forward to working with residents, cultural partners, and other stakeholders to make sure that Worcester is a city with creativity at its heart.”

From festivals to theatre, from dance to music - there is already a wealth of activity taking place all over the city, led by a vibrant mix of volunteer-led and professional organisations. Events range from the Elgar Festival to the popular Light Nights, while a range of exhibition spaces include the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, the Museum of Royal Worcester, the Bevere Art Gallery, Yew Tree Artist Studios and the new opportunities provided at The Arches – Worcester.

Worcester is currently undergoing a significant period of change and regeneration, having benefited from almost £40m of Government funding in recent years. This money is enabling improvements to heritage buildings and the repurposing of many public spaces and buildings, and the draft Arts and Culture Strategy looks at how this can be a platform to showcase the city on a national and global stage.

The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 30 September. To have your say, go to  www.worcester.gov.uk/voiceit