London’s arts and cultural sector is a great success story. The Mayor and Greater London Authority play a role in giving support, encouraging a climate of innovation, diversity and experimentation; and supporting policies and initiatives that make culture accessible to more Londoners.
Vision and strategy
Culture at the heart of London’s success
Culture makes a valuable contribution to London life. It is a key reason why people visit – seven out of ten tourists cite culture as a reason for their stay. London almost receives more visitors annually than Paris and New York put together. People move to London because it is one of the most cosmopolitan and welcoming cities on earth, and businesses relocate here because it attracts dynamic professionals from a range of sectors.
It is not just the world-famous museums and galleries that draw people. For many around the world, London is a centre for popular culture – from Camden’s live music scene to the bookshops on Charing Cross Road, from the buzz of bars and clubs in Shoreditch to street performers in Covent Garden or major concerts at the O2 in Greenwich.
London’s commercial creative industries also generate wealth for the UK economy. The latest official data from 2007 shows that the creative industries in London employ 386,000 people, plus 411,000 people who work in creative jobs outside the creative industries, totalling 797,000. The GVA of the creative industries in 2007 was £18,545bn.
Mayor’s Cultural Strategy for London
The first Mayoral Cultural Strategy for London was published in 2004. The current Mayoral administration published the revised Cultural Strategy for London Cultural Metropolis on 15 November 2010 following a public consultation.
Cultural Metropolis executive summary
Other publications
Cultural Metropolis - Direction of Travel document
Shaping places in London through Culture
Two-year snapshot: what we've delivered so far
Since May 2008, we've delivered the following to ensure the success story of London's arts and cultural sector continues:
Cultural diversity
London is one of the world's biggest melting pots. We recognise this fact and promote a wide range of cultural events. The Mayor is committed to engaging a more diverse range of communities through new festivals such as Story of London and events like Vaisakhi, London Film Day, and St George’s Day in Trafalgar Square.
Young people
As well as events for London's various communities, we are working to find more positive activities for young people so that they can reach their full potential. The Mayor’s Music Education Strategy includes a major fund for music services and an annual schools music festival.
Major projects
Through the London Development Agency, the Mayor has given funding to major cultural developments like the Tate Modern extension, the restoration of the Cutty Sark, the new British Film Institute and the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton.
Olympic Commission
As part of our commitment to building a lasting legacy for London’s hosting of the Olympics in 2012, the Mayor has committed £2 million to develop art and cultural commissions for the Olympic Park, to encourage tourism to the area.
Loyalty card for Londoners
London is a city filled with hidden cultural gems and the Mayor wants all Londoners to have the access and opportunity to enjoy these. We are developing a Londoners’ Card scheme, which will use new technology to allow Londonwide access to culture.
More jobs in the sector
Enhancing our status as a cultural metropolis also requires us to encourage more Londoners to work in the cultural sector, which has traditionally relied on unpaid internships and volunteers. The Mayor recently launched a pilot scheme in partnership with Renaissance Museums to encourage museums and galleries to strengthen their internships and widen opportunities for Londoners from all walks of life to enter the cultural sector.
