Dorset Council’s Cabinet has agreed to adopt Dorset’s Cultural Strategy 2021 to 2026, which was discussed at this week’s Cabinet meeting (Tuesday 18 May).
Cultural Strategies have been in place in Dorset since 2010. They have helped to increase
the opportunities of securing new investment into Dorset and maximise the leverage value of the Council’s own investment in arts, heritage and culture.
This particular Cultural Strategy was developed during the COVID pandemic – which has
severely affected the financial health of the culture sector across the UK – and will play a key part in the recovery of this sector.
It sets out a united direction for the culture of Dorset for stakeholders, funders, cross sector partners, parish and town councils, organisations and individuals. It focuses on a collaborative approach to cultural provision that will directly benefit the county’s communities, visitors, and economy.
Cllr Jill Haynes, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services, said:
“We want this Cultural Strategy to drive positive change at the individual, sector and county level and to make culture more inclusive, accessible and visible for everyone in Dorset.
“It is an ambitious document and we will only successfully deliver on the priorities in the strategy if we work in partnership to enable this to happen. As such, the Cultural Strategy is not a standalone document but is designed to complement non-arts agendas and integrate with existing regional and council strategies to achieve our collective ambitions for Dorset.
“Ultimately, we want our communities to feel proud of Dorset’s arts, heritage and cultural offer and for it to be shaped by our communities so that culture becomes woven into everyday life as an entitlement and not a privilege.”
The culture sector encompasses organisations, freelancers, artists and creatives, public venues, institutions, and activities. For this strategy, this includes: –
- Performing arts including dance, music, comedy and theatre
- Visual arts, design, craft and makers
- Digital media and film
- Museums, collections and archives
- Libraries, literature, writing and publishing
- The natural, historic and built environment
- Cultural tourism, locally produced food and drink, outdoor festivals and attractions.
- Amateur and voluntary run arts for example fetes, carnivals and knitting circles.
The next steps will be to conduct further research and develop delivery plans and a framework to make sure all communities in Dorset can benefit from the strategy.
