“It’s so useful to hear first-hand how cultural competitions are  designed and launched, and how entrants and winners have experienced the process.” 

Leadership Exchange Participant

The Challenge

How can all citizens enjoy the cultural riches of our cities?  Can we celebrate the city’s cultural hidden gems and bring culture to people’s doorsteps? London’s Borough of Culture award launched in 2017 by the Mayor of London to provide funding and support to a borough each year to put on a cultural programme. 

It puts culture at the heart of local communities illuminating the character and diversity of the city’s boroughs and showing culture is for everyone. It engages Londoners in cultural and creative programmes on their doorstep by supporting work designed and led by local people, empowering communities and contributing to the increased health and wellbeing of residents.  

Buenos Aires launched Barrios Creativos (Creative Neighbourhoods) in 2018, a new project that shared similar aims, so an exchange was a clear win! 

The Exchange

Buenos Aires visited London and the programme included:  

• Meeting the London Borough of Culture team to learn about the competition process  
• Visiting Waltham Forest, the first ever winner of London Borough of Culture  
• Exploring how the programme was co-designed with communities and local organisations as well as some of the city’s flagship organisations.  
• Meeting with cultural organisations including; Tate, Arts Council England, Battersea Arts Centre, and Roundhouse who are delivery partners of the programme  
• Visiting some of the activities from heritage music trails, dance festivals, community conversations, new sculptures and more.
• Learning how the programme celebrates local artists and talent  
• Learning how the programme worked with all schools in the borough, engaged over 1,000 local volunteers and 85% of households and achieved 500,000 additional visits to cultural activity 

Lessons Learned

• Neighbourhood culture programmes can improve access to culture outside of city centres and foster local pride.  
• Programmes are successfully locally led and can be developed in partnership with the city flagship organisations who want to reach out to local audiences.  
• The local culture programme can deliver the area’s wider agendas like addressing youth engagement and social isolation.  
• Plan for the legacy from the outset to ensure the programme has long term impact. 

Impact

• Buenos Aires applied insights including how to engage boroughs, cultural organisations and citizens, and how to  measure and evaluate impact.  
• Buenos Aires awarded three Barrios Creativos: Chacarita, Abasto and Villa Crespo.  
• Abasto’s Barrio Cultural delivered cultural activities in the public realm, large-scale events, art installations and events in cultural venues across the neighbourhood.  
• Barrios Creativos used participatory processes, local organisations shaped the programme with local identity at its heart. London Borough of Culture volunteers became Covid-19 response teams and were a big asset to the borough.  
• London has awarded more London Boroughs of Culture in Brent, Lewisham and Croydon. 

Images Courtesy © City of Buenos Aires