Culture, Health & Wellbeing International Conference and Exchange

At Community Leisure UK, we actively support charitable trusts in being resilient organisations with demonstrable social value. Member trusts managing over 1100 cultural facilities across communities in England, Wales and Scotland, have an important role to play in providing accessible, inclusive, and participatory programming that decrease social isolation and the risk of long-term health conditions, and increase social engagement and access to the arts and culture.

Most commonly, culture trusts* manage theatres, town or community halls/centres, libraries, museums, galleries, and archive centres and do so in partnership with their local authority. The cultural programming and services they run from their physical assets are not limited to their traditional usage, and in support of national public policy objectives and community needs. Think, for example, about rhyme time in libraries, professional and amateur theatre, working spaces for local entrepreneurs, arts on prescription, mental health support groups, community festivals, and Dementia-friendly choirs.

An important aspect of trusts’ work is their non-profit distributing model which enables them to adapt programming and facilities to the needs of communities. Trusts cross-subsidise:

• services i.e. more profitable activities subsidise community outreach;
• individuals i.e. income from those who can afford to pay support reduced cost or free activities for others

The foundation of the trust model makes trusts unique in delivering public culture services: “We are not for profit so can reinvest any surplus. [We are] able to respond to changing landscape and demands in a more timely way. [We also have] more ability to take programming risks and develop our audience”.

This presentation will share lived experience of these non-profit distributing organisations in creating inclusive, co-produced arts and culture programming and addressing health inequalities through their work. We will share case studies of culture trusts’ work across England, Scotland and Wales and highlight how their work with their local communities has contributed to improving health and wellbeing. These examples include regional public health promoted programmes such as social prescribing as well as local wellbeing projects using concepts like the Five Ways to Wellbeing. While these programmes have been paused or adapted during lockdown periods, culture trusts remain committed to continuing them – whether in its original form where allowed, or by moving some of it online.

*When stating culture trust, we mean to refer to charitable trusts who manage cultural services and/or facilities

Resources

Download the session notes here

Download the presentation here