Your cultural life in London

Between June and July 2024, over 1,000 of you shared more about your cultural life in London in our survey and discussion. 

Your views, alongside insights collected through representative polling and engagement with stakeholders, helped shape ‘Arts for All’. This report details recommendations to break down barriers to arts and cultural participation in the capital. 

Commissioned by City Hall’s Culture team and delivered by Centre for London - an independent think tank- the recommendations were shared at an event on Thursday 3 April at the Barbican. 

For National Government 

• Introduce a national Arts Pass for U-25s to ensure every young person regardless of background can enjoy the best of London and the UK’s arts and culture scene. 
• Promote the value of the Arts in the national core curriculum to nurture future talent and ensure equality of access to arts and culture. 
• Restore arts funding to local government to 2010 levels and invest in Arts Council England funding for London to kick-start growth and increase inclusivity. 
• Allow the Greater London Authority to explore the implementation of a Tourist Tax to help invest in London’s arts and cultural scene. 

For Regional and Local Government 

• Ensure arts and culture are at the heart of implementing the London Growth Plan’s vision to build a fairer, safer, greener and more prosperous London. 
• Reinvigorate local authority culture strategies to plan for the long term to foster local cultural activity. 

For Institutions: 

• The Arts Council should build on their Cultural Compacts model to deeply engage with and respond to the priorities and preferences of local organisations and communities. 
• Institutions should work hand-in-hand with communities so that cultural programming reflects London’s diverse audiences, especially those least represented in the arts and cultural sector. 
• Institutions and their partners should act as champions and enablers for local and grassroots organisations in order to reach Londoners who are most marginalised from the arts. 
• Arts organisations should take an audience-first approach, using data, insight and collaboration to more effectively reach and engage diverse audiences. 

Following this report, City Hall’s Culture team are reviewing and discussing with cultural partners and stakeholders across London the opportunities and implications of these recommendations. They will be working together on actions to increase awareness and engagement of arts and culture for Londoners.