MD3417 Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London Unit activities 2025-26 to 2027-28

1.1.    London contributes more than half the UK’s entire creative industries economic output. The capital’s creative industries add £63bn to the economy each year, accounting for one in five jobs in the capital. Culture also has a hugely important social role, supporting the health and wellbeing of Londoners.

1.2.    Nonetheless, London’s cultural economy needs support. The government has, in its Industrial Strategy, recognised the creative industries as a high-growth sector with strong potential for expansion. To achieve this, several significant challenges need to be addressed – such as structural inequality; the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis on audiences and workers; planning and licensing constraints; rising land and operating costs; and climate change. These pressures are compounded by insecure funding cycles; skills shortages; and barriers to entry for diverse and early-career talent.

1.3.    The Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London Unit delivers the Mayor’s statutory Culture Strategy, and the Mayor’s Vision for London as a 24-hour city. 

1.4.    The Greater London Authority (GLA) has been establishing refreshed delivery and governance arrangements over the last few months, and is bringing forward for approval delivery plans for 14 strategic, high-level programmes. The approvals sought within this Mayoral Decision (MD) are urgently required for existing projects with ongoing contractual commitments. Therefore, this decision is being advanced ahead of the formal approval of the associated delivery plans. 

1.5.    This MD seeks approval to spend £4,865,156 from the Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London Unit revenue budget, and £1.6m of the capital budget, in 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28. This will enable the delivery of activities outlined in the following Mayoral programmes, and to achieve their corresponding core London-level, long-term outcomes:

•    Helping Local Economies to Thrive – high streets and town centres are thriving across London
•    Boosting London’s Growth Sectors – stable, long-term economic growth benefits all of London’s communities
•    Reducing Inequalities – all Londoners live in a city that supports their mental and physical health.

1.6.    Approval is also requested for delegated authority to the Executive Director, Good Growth, to approve by means of a record in writing the receipt and expenditure of external funding for the activities set out in this decision, without needing a further decision. This is expected to include:

•    grant funding of £3m from Bloomberg Philanthropies towards joint East Bank programmes which will be delivered by the East Bank partnershipgrant funding from relevant trusts, foundations and other grant-giving organisations to support the Dementia Friendly Venues Charter.

Revenue budget

1.7.    The revenue budget is shown in the table below:

1.8.    The capital budget is shown in the table below:

Helping Local Economies to Thrive

2.1.    London’s high streets, town centres and other local economic hubs generate employment and growth across the capital. They also form a key part of our local communities. The Helping Local Economies to Thrive programme will aim to ensure high streets and town centres are thriving across London. It does this through prioritising small business support, access to space, capital exemplar project delivery, place activation, placemaking capacity and capability and supporting London’s nightlife. 

2.2.    The Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London Unit has several projects that contribute to achieving the objectives of this mandate. These are detailed in paragraphs 2.3 to 2.17 below. 

24-Hour London

2.3.    The needs of London’s night-time workers, businesses and communities have not always been sufficiently reflected in policy. There is a valuable opportunity to reimagine how the city’s nightlife and economy at night can benefit everyone who lives in, works in, or visits London.

2.4.    A quarter of London’s workforce (1.32m) is active between 6pm and 6am throughout the week. This includes hospitality and nightlife workers, and those who work in health and social care, transport and logistics and professional services. There is compelling evidence that night workers are subject to: disproportionate inequalities compared to their daytime counterparts, such as limited or no access to healthy and affordable food, and longer commutes; and a lack of representation and concerns around safety and wellbeing, both physical and mental.

2.5.    The night-time economy is worth £136.5bn to the UK economy (2022). It contributes billions to London’s economy and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs. MasterCard data for London shows that £1 in every £4 is spent at night; some boroughs see a much greater proportion of total spend during the night than the day. In Hackney, for instance, 36 per cent of all spending takes place between 6pm and 6am, while the London average is 25 per cent. 

2.6.    However, London’s nightlife is under pressure from various issues, such as cost-of-living pressures; rising business costs; rent increases; challenges in the recruitment and retention of skilled staff; noise complaints; and navigating complex regulations, such as licensing and planning. 

2.7.    The Taskforce’s role is to bring together London’s nightlife communities and businesses, key stakeholders and the wider public, to create an action plan for London’s nightlife. Drawing on the nightlife research commissioned under cover of DD2711, the Taskforce will identify policies, programmes and interventions that stakeholders can work towards, to help ensure London retains and grows a thriving and diverse night-time offer. 

2.8.    Investment in the 24-Hour London project will deliver the following outputs:

•    coverage for the increased costs of honoraria payments and expenses to Nightlife Taskforce members, as a result of an expanded work programme (including extensive sector engagement)
•    events and communications activities that support community engagement, in particular the findings of the Taskforce report
•    launch of the London Nightlife Taskforce Report 
•    development of an implementation plan in response to the Nightlife Taskforce report recommendations
•    improved alignment between the 24-Hour London project and other GLA teams to reduce inequalities, help local economies to thrive and support good growth across the city, support for boroughs to develop and implement their own holistic night-time strategies.

Space for Culture 

2.9.    The Mayor’s London Plan, Culture Strategy and Cultural Infrastructure Plan set out the Mayor’s agenda to protect and grow the city’s cultural assets – spaces that hold vital social and economic value to London’s residents, workers and visitors; and play a key role in London’s global reputation. 

2.10.    Space for Culture supports creative-sector growth and sustainability by securing cultural spaces, including work and production space. It does this by finding cultural space for an existing idea or organisation; developing an idea for long-term cultural space; or supporting an existing cultural space to increase capacity. The project also supports cherished culture and community venues that are at risk due to external pressures – including lease lengths; development; licensing; and cost-of-business increases. It does so by providing business support; training; guidance and advocacy; organisational health checks; and development grant support. 

2.11.    The Culture and Community Spaces at Risk project has supported more than 1,500 organisations since 2020 – helping them to overcome specific issues and secure their long-term stability. 

2.12.    Investment in the Space for Culture project will deliver the following outputs:

•    data updates, user improvements and other enhancements to the Cultural Infrastructure Map
•    strategic support for cultural and community organisations to improve their capability and organisational development to take on potential spaces
•    strategic funding and tailored organisational business advice and support
•    bespoke individual and online support– this includes legal advice, property valuations, landlord negotiations, business planning and referrals
•    development and delivery of advocacy, guidance and capacity building activities to support grassroots culture and community organisations.

 
Creative Enterprise Zones

2.13.    The Mayor’s CEZs help artists and creative businesses establish roots and grow in London. The first six zones were approved in 2017 under cover of MD2196. By 2023 the project had expanded to 12 zones, supported by a sustainability capital fund approved under MD2807 and MD3039.

2.14.    CEZs have proven to be resilient hubs of the creative economy. Between 2019 and 2020, creative businesses in the zones grew by 22 per cent, compared to a four per cent decline across London. By 2026, the zones are expected to deliver 71,000 square metres of permanent, affordable creative workspace; and support 1,000 creative businesses – 40 per cent of which will be diverse-led.

2.15.    Nine zones are scheduled for re-accreditation in 2025-26, supported by UK Shared Prosperity Funding approved under cover of MD3364. The remaining three will follow in 2026-27.

2.16.    This decision also covers the CEZ capital fund, which will support strategic projects within the zones. This includes a £250,000 grant to Acme Studios to facilitate the time-sensitive purchase of the ‘Propeller Factory’—London’s largest remaining artists’ studio site – located in the Lewisham Zone. The capital fund will be co-designed and managed in partnership with the GLA regeneration team delivering the Civic Partnership Fund.

2.17.    Investment in the CEZ project will deliver the following outputs: 

•    re-accreditation and delivery of nine Zone action plans in 2025-26 and three Zones in 2026-27
•    delivery of the Knowledge Exchange Forum, including training and capacity building for local partners
•    design and delivery of the CEZ capital project supporting the creation of permanent affordable workspace in selected zones
•    the securing of 6,550 square metres of affordable workspace in perpetuity through the Propeller Factory, Lewisham via a grant to Acme Studios.

Boosting London’s Growth Sectors 

2.18.    The strength of London’s economy is critical to Londoners’ quality of life and to the wider prosperity of London and the UK. The London Growth Plan published in February 2025 sets out how London government and stakeholders will improve productivity, boost jobs and secure investment in our city for the benefit of all Londoners. The Boosting London’s Growth Sectors programme will define actions and projects the GLA is leading to achieve these aspirations. 

2.19.    The core London Level Outcome that activity within the Boosting London’s Growth sector programme will contribute towards is “stable, long-term growth benefits all of London’s communities”. 

2.20.    The Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London Unit has several projects that contribute to achieving the objectives of this mandate. These are detailed in paragraphs 2.21 to 2.28 below. 

Culture Strategy 

2.21.    The Mayor has a statutory duty to deliver a culture strategy and appoint a culture strategy group, known as the Mayor’s Cultural Leadership Board (MCLB). The Board advises the Mayor on the direction of the Strategy and its delivery.

2.22.    The MCLB advises the Mayor on a range of issues to ensure the needs of culture, the creative industries and 24-hour London are accounted for across all of his strategies and delivery missions.

2.23.    Investment in the Culture Strategy will deliver the following outputs: 

•    the Mayor’s statutory cultural duties are met, including the ongoing review of the Culture Strategy, with support from the MCLB
•    deliver MCLB activities, events and public engagements
•    support allowances of up to £3,000 each for up to 10 Board members, enabling freelance and unwaged cultural practitioners to participate fully and equitably in activities
•    lead policy development, programme design and advocacy approaches that maximise opportunities across culture, creative industries and 24-Hour London.

East Bank Partnerships project

2.24.    East Bank is a new powerhouse for innovation, creativity and learning in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It unites five cultural and education institutions: 

•    London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London
•    V&A East (including V&A East Storehouse)
•    University College London East
•    Sadler’s Wells East
•    BBC Music Studios. 

2.25.    Most buildings are now completed, with East Bank partners operating on site. Over 8,000 students are attending classes at East Bank, two new public squares have opened and new public art projects are creating an interactive public realm. The Music Is Black: A British Story – the inaugural exhibition opening V&A East Museum in 2026 – will inspire the first season of cultural programming involving partners across the park. This new cultural quarter is creating more than 2,500 jobs, will contribute an estimated £1.5bn for the local economy and will bring an additional 1.5m visitors to the Park and surrounding area each year, as part of the culture and economic legacy of London 2012. 

2.26.    Bloomberg Philanthropies has had a close involvement in the development of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park since its inception, including the park-wide public art programme. This has now resulted in a contribution to the programming and legacy of the East Bank Partnership, supported by £3m over three years.

2.27.    This funding will support the creation of a GLA partnerships manager role, which will be approved in parallel through Establishment Control processes. The role will support this funding partnership and will be granted to East Bank organisations to deliver joint initiatives. The income will be received across three years, with the possibility that future years’ income will be granted directly to a newly-established East Bank Foundation once it is in place.

2.28.    Investment in the East Bank Partnerships project will deliver the following outputs: 

•    a series of public programmes, including temporary and permanent public art and public realm commissions and joint programming delivered by East Bank partners 
•    a coordinated culture strategy for cultural content across the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP), supported by a cultural advisory group made up of East Bank, QEOP, GLA, artist experts and community voices
•    deliver an artists-in-residence programme at each East Bank partner institutions supporting innovation and opportunities for cross-working 
•    a Bloomberg Connects offer including specially created content, which makes the East Bank offer available on the digital platform
•    a GLA Partnerships role to support this funding partnership and ensure East Bank opportunities are realised across the GLA
•    staff resource employed and managed by East Bank partners to support the East Bank Director.

Reducing Inequalities 

2.29.    The Mayor is committed to making London the fairest city in the world – one in which all individuals are respected and valued equally. A thriving and resilient capital depends on ensuring that every Londoner lives in an environment that promotes both mental and physical wellbeing, with timely access to effective health and care services. This vision is underpinned by a strategic approach that targets resources where they are most needed and embeds the principles of equity and inequality reduction across all GLA programmes and services.

2.30.    The Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London Unit has several projects that will contribute to achieving the objectives of the Reducing Inequalities programme. These are detailed in paragraphs 2.31 to 2.36, below.

Dementia Friendly Venues Charter

2.31.    The Dementia Friendly Venues Charter is the Mayor’s self-accreditation programme for cultural venues across London, ensuring every Londoner with dementia and their carers have access to dementia-friendly venues on their doorstep. Cultural venues have enhanced their welcomes and programmes for people living with dementia; supporting better connections with local dementia-friendly infrastructure.

2.32.    The project supports delivery of the London Level Outcome: All Londoners live in a city that supports their mental and physical health.

2.33.    Since accreditation launched in 2021, evaluation has demonstrated that people living with dementia and their carers have felt welcomed in cultural spaces, and the aim is that dementia-friendly venues become the norm across London’s communities. Currently underway is a consultancy to review the impact of the Charter and explore new business models to ensure the future sustainability of the programme and future support for venues during the accreditation process.

2.34.    Investment in the Dementia Friendly Venues Charter will deliver the following outputs: 

•    accreditation of 50 new venues and active support through monthly webinars, one-to-one guidance, site visits by specialist consultants, and peer-sharing events as part of the Dementia Friendly Venues Network
•    a refreshed and fully maintained digital portal to enhance accessibility and user experience
•    accreditation support and networking activities for over 600 participants to strengthen sector collaboration
•    a business plan that sets out a sustainable legacy model for the Charter, with options to include sports and leisure facilities or expand to other regions
•    a communications campaign during Dementia Awareness Weeks and reprint accreditation badges to reinforce visibility and recognition.

Creative Health Metro Mayors’ Network Contribution

2.35.    A new mayoral authorities network co-convened by the GLA and Greater Manchester in 2024, to share best practice for how creative health can support the delivery of health inequalities strategies in cities. Arts Council England has provided £24,000 core funding, matched by network members for a two-year manager contract. 

2.36.    Investment in the Creative Health Metro Mayors’ Network will deliver the following outputs:

•    representation of London’s policy work on behalf of the Mayor
•    support for a part time manager to deliver the work of the network
•    an annual forum and quarterly network meetings
•    strategic connections with and across national creative health organisations
•    focused action plans for advocacy and communications, economic evidencing and sustainable funding for the capital.
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor of London must have ‘due regard’ to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between people who have a ‘protected characteristic’ as defined in the Equality Act 2010 and those who do not. 

3.2.    The proposed projects outlined in this decision will enable the continued creation of opportunities for Londoners, providing social and economic benefits in the capital. The projects seek to ensure that all Londoners – regardless of whether they have a protected characteristic – can enjoy, experience and benefit from being creative and taking part in London’s cultural offering. 

3.3.    The 24-Hour London project addresses inequalities in night-time work and business, ensuring underrepresented communities have a voice. This includes ethnically diverse groups, younger and older people, LGBTQ+ and sex-positive communities, disabled individuals, and those from less privileged backgrounds. Their insights will inform plans and policies to improve access to London’s nightlife. 

3.4.    The Space for Culture project aim to ensure that cultural or community space is created, protected and sustained in a way that reflects the identities, and meets the diverse needs, of all Londoners, and fosters cohesion. 40 per cent of businesses supported through the CEZ programme will be diverse led. In 2024-25, 80 per cent of culture and community spaces at risk support was focused on spaces led by women, Black, ethnic minority, deaf and disabled, or LGBTQ+ Londoners. 

3.5.    Dementia Friendly Venues Charter was established to improve access and inclusion across London’s cultural venues. The number of Londoners living with dementia is increasing and this project supports people to live well. Visits to fully accessible venues and experiencing their programmes improves people’s health and cognitive functions, reducing isolation through participation in cultural activities. 

3.6.    The Culture, Creative Industries and 24-Hour London Unit will ensure that all organisations that are in receipt of GLA grant funding have equality policies in place and are committed to: proactively applying the principles of the Equality Act 2010; and regularly refreshing their equality and diversity policies and practices. 
 

4.1.    In addition to supporting the Mayor’s mandates listed in paragraph 1.5, the projects and policies outlined in this decision link to the following Mayoral strategies: 

•    Culture for All Londoners, the Mayor’s landmark strategy for culture, which outlines an ambitious vision to ensure all Londoners can engage with, and contribute to, the capital’s rich cultural offering on their doorsteps 
•    A Vision for London as a 24-Hour City, the Mayor’s strategy for nightlife in London 
•    the London Growth Plan, developed in collaboration with businesses, universities and colleges, trade unions and civil society to set out how London will improve productivity and boost jobs and investment in key growth sectors, which includes the creative industries
•    the government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan, which aims to ensure that the UK is the number one destination worldwide for investment in creativity and innovation and to significantly increase investment by 2035 
•    Inclusive London, the Mayor’s EDI Strategy, which sets out that a successful city needs to work well for all residents. Everyone should be able to share in its prosperity, culture and community life regardless of age, social class, disability, race, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or whether they are pregnant or on maternity leave 
•    the Mayor’s Health Inequalities Strategy and Health in All Policies approach, which support Londoners to feel comfortable talking about mental health; reduce stigma; and empower people to improve the health and wellbeing of themselves and their community 
•    the Mayor’s Social Integration Strategy, which aims to improve social integration in London by giving people more opportunities to connect with each other positively and meaningfully 
•    the London Plan, which contains strategic policies for supporting London’s night-time economy and its diverse range of arts, cultural and entertainment enterprises; and the cultural, social and economic benefits they offer to its residents, workers and visitors, evidence for which is provided by research outlined in this Decision 
•    the Cultural Infrastructure Plan, which sets out how London can support and grow cultural spaces in London for generations to come.
Risks 

4.2.    The risks and mitigations are detailed in the table below:

Subsidy control

4.3.    The award of £250,000 grant funding to Acme Studios is proposed as a contribution to its costs of the purchase of the Propeller Factory at 33 Childers Street in Deptford. This will secure permanent, affordable workspace for over 130 artists in London’s largest single artist studios building.

4.4.    Officers have considered the proposed grant taking account of the requirements of the Subsidy Control Act 2020 (SCA) and related guidance and have concluded that the proposed award of funding is consistent with the requirements of the SCA as it meets the subsidy control principles. The grant addresses a clear market failure in a borough with critically low creative workspace and supports the GLA’s policy objective of strengthening London’s £60bn creative economy. It aligns with the Mayor’s Culture Strategy, the London Growth Plan, and the Helping Local Economies to Thrive Mandate. The grant is appropriate for and proportionate to the scale of the need, which is limited to the minimum required to secure the site, and essential to prevent the loss of a major cultural asset in a borough with critically low creative workspace provision. It will not compensate Acme Studios for the costs it would have funded in the absence of any subsidy and seeks to preserve existing infrastructure rather than distorting competition. The purchase (and related preservation of important creative sector infrastructure) would not proceed without the proposed award. 

4.5.    Due to the East Bank Foundation not yet being established, it is likely the first portion of Bloomberg Philanthropies funding will be granted to one of the East Bank partner institutions. The delivery mechanism for and recipient of this funding has not yet been determined. In designing the grant scheme, the GLA will take into account the requirements of the UK’s subsidy control regime and all applicable laws.

Conflicts of interest

4.6.    There are no conflicts of interest to note for any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1.    The table below details the proposed budget profile. The budget lines are included in the 2025-26 budget for the Culture and Creative Industries business unit and are expected to be incorporated into relevant delivery plans as these are completed and approved. 

5.2.    Future years’ budgets will still be subject to the annual budget setting process. Any contracts that cover future years will need to have break clauses. Any changes in the anticipated profile of spend across the years will be reflected as updates during the budget-setting process. 

5.3.    Approval is also requested for the receipt and expenditure of up to £3m of grant funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies towards the delivery of East Bank projects. Any additional funding secured for the programme will be used to enhance the programme with the appropriate budget adjustments being made. 

6.1.    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of the Authority’s general powers; falling within the Authority’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further, or that are facilitative of, or conducive or incidental to, the promotion of economic development and wealth creation and social development in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

•    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people 
•    consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom 
•    consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2.    In taking the decisions requested, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report. 

6.3.    Officers have set out at paragraph 4.4 above, how the proposed award of grant funding to Acme Studios in respect of its Propeller Factory project does not amount to an unlawful subsidy under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. 

   
6.4.    If the Mayor makes the decisions sought, officers must ensure that:

•    no reliance is placed upon nor commitments made to expenditure which relies upon future years’ budgets or other funding until they have been approved and secured
•    to the extent that expenditure concerns the award of grant funding, it is distributed fairly, transparently, in manner that affords value for money and in accordance with the requirements of the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code; such awards meet the requirements of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 where applicable; and grant funding agreements are put in place between, and executed by, the GLA and recipients before any commitment to fund is made
•    they register the grant to Acme Studios on the Department for Business and Trade’s Transparency Database
•    to the extent that expenditure concerns the purchase of services, they are procured in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code; and contracts are put in place between and executed by the GLA and contractors before commencement of such services
•    to the extent that expenditure concerns staffing matters, all GLA HR and related governance protocols are followed
•    any honoraria to be paid to taskforce members and related expenses should be administered in line with the GLA’s normal policies and procedures.
 

7.1.    The projects will be delivered according to the timetable outlined below.