Council chiefs hope to tap into external funding and boost engagement with arts and culture through a newly adopted cultural strategy.
During a recent South Holland District Council cabinet meeting, members approved the strategy, which is built around four key themes: Culture for All, Cultural Infrastructure, Cultural Place, and Culture, Health and Wellbeing, writes Local Democracy Reporter James Turner.
The strategy is expected to support long-term funding opportunities from Arts Council England for various projects – meaning that it could result in more money being spent in the district.
The Boston and East Lindsey Cultural Framework, completed in 2021, is set to integrate with this strategy, forming a unified Cultural Framework for the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership area.
A report to the cabinet highlighted several barriers in the way of culture – including an ageing population, sustained loss of younger talent, limited transport links and fragmented communities.
Despite these challenges, the report emphasised the area’s potential, pointing to its heritage, natural and built environment, and existing cultural assets. It also stressed leveraging the ambition and aspirations of local residents to drive progress.
Council leader Nick Worth acknowledged that such documents “tend to sit on a shelf” but emphasised the importance of ensuring this one is actively implemented.
He later insisted that the strategy would align with the partnership’s “growth and prosperity plan, funding opportunities, and cultural investment”.
“If we didn’t have it, we’d be in a much poorer place,” he added.
While generally supportive, Coun Bryan Alcock noted “slight disappointment” after reading the SELCP Cultural Framework, highlighting that it primarily focused on the largest towns in the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership area, such as Skegness, Boston, and Spalding, while smaller towns seemed overlooked.
“The bridge in Crowland doesn’t even get a mention,” he said.
“I welcome it and accept it’s a very good document, but it’s sad that we are concentrating on the large towns, and the rest of the district doesn’t get much of a mention.”
In response, officers assured that the document could be updated at a later date.
