WIREDGOV

Five projects in the South East have recently been awarded over £1.385M in Place Partnership funding.

The Place Partnership Fund was launched by Arts Council England in 2021. By investing in local organisations working in partnership with each other, it aims to make a step-change in the cultural and creative life of local communities. Since 2021, over £40 million has been awarded to over 70 projects around the country.

Of these, over 30 are in Priority Places, areas where Arts Council England investment has historically been low. Place Partnership projects have reached over 17 million people so far, giving local communities, especially children and young people, access to high quality creative and cultural experiences on their doorstep and giving them a sense of pride in where they live.

Clarion Futures, Fenland Place Partnership Fund - £420K

Fenland Place Partnership is a three-year initiative designed to empower current and future cultural leaders across the region. At its heart is a Cultural Leadership Development Programme that will nurture local talent and culminate in a six-week multi-arts festival in summer 2027. This festival will showcase a diverse mix of productions, exhibitions, events, and community-led creative activities.

The project places a strong focus on young people, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and support to become the next generation of arts leaders. By building new networks, offering training, and investing in local creativity, the Fenland Place Partnership aims to shape a resilient, ambitious, and thriving cultural future Fenland.

Coordinated by Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group which owns and manages thousands of homes across Fenland, the project will be delivered by a consortium of local partners including Fenland District Council, community-driven arts charity MarketPlace Arts, and 20TwentyProductions CIC which works with children and young people through a range of creative learning, wellbeing and social action projects delivered in schools. 

Creative Folkestone, Folkestone Is a Library - £185K 

Folkestone Is a Library (FIAL) is a bold, community-led initiative from Creative Folkestone that will transform the entire town into a living, breathing library. Born from Folkestone’s 25-year legacy of creative placemaking, FIAL will sustain literary engagement while the traditional library is closed, reimagining how communities connect through stories.

Over three years, FIAL will collaborate with schools, community groups, and cultural partners to research, write, and share the “FolkeStories”, personal narratives that reflect the town’s diverse voices and rich heritage. With a focus on inclusivity, the programme will actively engage children, young people, early years, and hard-to-reach communities, offering accessible platforms for expression across written, spoken, performed, and visual artforms.

Through workshops, residencies, author events, and mini-festivals, FIAL will nurture a vibrant culture of reading and storytelling. It will culminate in an annual celebration and a town-wide exhibition, creating a lasting legacy for the future library.

With visual identity by Bob & Roberta Smith, FIAL will reinforce Folkestone’s identity as a creative hub, fostering a stronger community of readers and writers. This sustainable model will leave behind empowered participants, enduring partnerships, and a town united by its shared literary voice.

Buckinghamshire Council, Place Partnerships High Wycombe - £230K 

The Culture Development project in High Wycombe is a three-year initiative aimed at transforming the town’s cultural landscape. Backed by £230,000 from Arts Council England’s Place Partnership Fund, alongside support from the Rothschild Foundation and Buckinghamshire Council, the project is a collaboration between Bucks Culture, local creatives, and community organisations.

This ambitious programme seeks to strengthen High Wycombe’s cultural sector by creating new opportunities for local artists, fostering skills development, and building meaningful partnerships. A key part of the initiative is the creation of a dedicated cultural hub, an inclusive space to celebrate the arts, encourage collaboration, and support creative enterprise.

The project champions community involvement, with a strong focus on inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability. Through networking events, knowledge-sharing sessions, and creative development programmes, it aims to empower artists, engage residents, and position culture at the heart of the town’s future.

By uniting artists, cultural organisations, businesses, and community groups, the Place Partnership will help shape a vibrant cultural identity for High Wycombe. It’s an exciting opportunity to boost local pride, strengthen the creative economy, and ensure everyone can participate in and benefit from the town’s cultural renewal. 

Chelmsford Cultural Development Trust, Chelmsford Place Partnership - £250K

Young people in Chelmsford are taking the lead in shaping the city’s cultural future, thanks to a major £250,000 investment from Arts Council England, through the National Lottery Place Partnership Fund. This two-year, youth-led initiative marks the largest strategic cultural grant ever awarded in the district. It represents a bold new model for youth-powered civic leadership in the UK.

The Young Cultural Changemakers Programme will put 13–25-year-olds from local youth changemakers, Spark!, in the driving seat of decision-making.They’ll deliver cultural events, influence public policy, and help build a stronger, more inclusive creative economy that will benefit the Chelmsford district. The project is produced by Culture Chelmsford, and delivered in partnership with Chelmsford City Council, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford For You, and Chelmsford College.

Formed in 2022 through the Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP), Spark! was established to amplify young voices, remove barriers to accessing creative opportunities and develop the next generation of civic changemakers. Now, thanks to the joint investment of Arts Council England and city wide partners, this expanded programme places young people in leadership roles, shaping Chelmsford’s cultural landscape and building pathways into the UK’s £124 billion creative industries.

Aik Saath, Slough’s Cultural Revival - £300K

Slough’s Cultural Revival is an ambitious initiative designed to harness the town’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity as a driving force for regeneration and growth. Rooted in the Slough Cultural Strategy, this project centres on community engagement, talent development, and strategic investment in cultural infrastructure.

At its core are three new cultural spaces: a dynamic Cultural Corridor in the town centre for performances and outdoor events; a state-of-the-art Digital Media Skills Hub to equip residents with professional content creation tools and training; and a revitalised Slough Museum to celebrate the town’s heritage and engage broader audiences.

Through three targeted strands—community engagement, talent development, and marketing—Slough’s Cultural Revival aims to break down barriers to participation and foster inclusion. Programmes will reach underrepresented groups, nurture emerging artists through training in dance, digital production, and heritage, and use cutting-edge marketing tools to grow and diversify audiences.

Delivered through strong partnerships with the Council, local businesses, schools, and cultural organisations, this project lays the foundation for a long-term vision. It will establish a unified cultural identity, support a thriving arts ecosystem, and redefine Slough as a model for inclusive, innovative, and community-driven cultural development.

Hazel Edwards, South East Area Director, Arts Council England, said: “These Place Partnership projects are powerful examples of how culture can bring communities together, unlock local talent, and create meaningful opportunities, particularly for young people. From Slough’s dynamic new cultural spaces to Chelmsford’s youth-led creative initiative, from High Wycombe’s cultural renewal to Folkestone’s imaginative town-wide library, each initiative shows what’s possible when local ambition meets long-term investment. We’re proud to support these partnerships as they shape inclusive and vibrant cultural futures for their towns and cities.”