Culture on the High Street
A new Culture on the High Street guide was launched by the Greater London Authority this week to help local authorities, town centre managers and business improvement districts to improve the quality and ambition of culture on our high street.
The high street
We want to make sure culture doesn’t happen just in our galleries, theatres and museums but is at the heart of Londoners’ lives.
This guide:
- presents the fantastic potential for culture and the high street
- proves how creative thinking can boost the economy and jobs
- showcases great examples
- shares useful resources to help sustain cultural activities
The 16 case studies show how embracing culture is integral to high street regeneration. Each highlights the importance of quality and imagination and concludes that the best results are achieved through strong partnerships.
Why high streets matter
London’s high streets are under attack from expensive rents and rates, competition from out-of-town precincts and online shopping. There are currently around 3,400 empty shops across the city, mostly in outer London. In many places, these vacancies create a downward spiral as closures reduce footfall. This leads to yet more closures - further damaging the cultural, social and civic functions of these unique local amenities.
Why culture is important to the high street
The impact of culture in London is greater than anywhere else in the UK, adding £1.6 billion to the economy. Each year at least £856 million of spending by tourists visiting the UK can be attributed directly to arts and culture.
In May 2013, the Evening Standard reported that culture’s contribution to the life of a neighbourhood was so significant it could increase house prices by up to 30 per cent.
At the same time, cuts in public spending have contributed to a shortfall in strategic creative leadership on the high street. This has been worsened by the loss of arts and events expertise across local authorities, and by other arts and cultural organisations scaling down their activity.
Now is the time to think and work in new ways and build partnerships that bring talent and creativity to the high street!
Download Culture on the high street
Download TCPA culture guide
Need a document on this page in an accessible format?
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of a PDF or other document on this page in a more accessible format, please get in touch via our online form and tell us which format you need.
It will also help us if you tell us which assistive technology you use. We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.