Cultural contribution
Winner: Art For All; All For Art, Oldham
What was the problem?
Since the civil disturbances of 2001, relationships between various community, ethnic and generational groups had declined. Local organisations worked hard to improve relationships in a way that strengthened community cohesion and created sustainable communities.
What action was taken?
The area’s ethnic and cultural heritage provided a platform for inspiring more individuals to get involved in the arts, generating economic growth and other benefits. The Oldham Partnership was established from a wide range of public, private, voluntary, community and faith sector groups. The partnership used the Local Area Agreement (LAA) as a basis to launch a programme of activities using culture to deliver policies in health, community engagement and community cohesion.
The Chief Executive of Oldham Coliseum Theatre led discussions with central government to stretch local targets to increase the number of adults participating in the visual and performing arts by an additional 14,062 people, and to increase the number of people from minority groups by an additional 2,023 people over three years.
What is special about this project?
The partnership was able to agree a complex and challenging contract with the Government by bringing together the skills and ambitions of a number of individuals and agencies. The project is successfully building culture into other local authority services and developing Oldham as a cultural hub for the area. This is reflected in some of the successes achieved to date: the Oldham Festival of Diversity, which attracted over 19,000 participants; the Oldham Coliseum Theatre, where a broad range of arts activities attracted more than 3,000 adult participants; the Carnival Arts Programme, which provides skills development, particularly for women living in the most deprived wards of Oldham; and the Chrysalis Theatre Company for people with learning disabilities.
What can be learned?
The social conditions that prevailed created a truly fragmented area. The partnership focused on activities that preserved and defined cultural identity while enabling self-expression and celebrating individual, community and national identity. By tapping into the existing cultural diversity and by taking arts into communities, the project has rebuilt local identity. As a result the partnership has been recognised locally and nationally as an example of how to use culture as a tool for creating community cohesion and delivering Local Areas Agreements.
Finalists
Idea Store
Whitechapel, London
Following a report that showed that eight out of 10 residents in the borough of Tower Hamlets did not use their libraries, Idea Stores were built to redefine how local people viewed and used library and information services. The attractive design of the Whitechapel facility and its specialist spaces for dance and complementary therapies has resulted in a visible increase in library visits and book issues. This success of the store has inspired the regeneration of other libraries in the borough. The assessment panel has given this project a special Local Authority Award.
John Pounds Redevelopment Programme
Portsmouth
A significant part of this city council redevelopment programme aims to combat high levels of resident dissatisfaction. The first stage of the physical redevelopment was a primary care centre. The second facility, the John Pounds Centre, was formally opened in June 2006 and houses a range of facilities including a library, arts studios, café, housing office, gym, youth club, offices, crèche, laundrette, meeting rooms and halls. Housing is currently being constructed in the next phase.
Neighbourhood Watching
Tower Hamlets, London
This community arts organisation is based in Tower Hamlets, one of the most economically deprived and culturally diverse boroughs in both London and England. The condition of the housing stock, compounded by overcrowding, has long been a serious concern in the borough. In the past six years, Neighbourhood Watching has introduced artistic and creative opportunities into the lives of local people. They have supported artists to engage with local residents. This has inspired a meaningful and effective dialogue between residents and the council, specifically with regard to the recent estate refurbishment.
Category Sponsor
Arts Council England
