Pride in our culture and heritage
- We will invest in culture like it is a front-line service, because access to shared experiences through art and creativity helps to tackle isolation, it supports good mental health and well-being, and enriches people’s lives. Investment in cultural opportunities can reduce the need for people to access more expensive frontline services when isolation can lead to worsening physical or mental health.
- We will co-produce a cultural manifesto for our borough to help attract funding and deliver exciting and engaging programmes of events, installations and entertainment. Beyond this, the manifesto will have a lasting legacy that builds strength in the cultural sector, develops talent and creates a supportive network of creative people, so that our arts programmes are resilient and sustainable from year to year.
- We will continue to support projects like the Rural Arts Touring Network and Cheshire West Voluntary Arts Network, so that events like NOW Northwich, the Chester International, Action Transport Theatre in Ellesmere Port, and Winsford Creates, and the Cine-window in Winsford can help our villages, towns and city to thrive. We will also ensure that culture is at the heart of our regeneration projects. We will maximise the use of our heritage and culture assets to support the vibrancy of town centres and village centres in our borough, including looking at the importance of play and the safety of young children in these spaces. We will also review options for a new tourism BID to help fund marketing activity and to supplement budgets for services that residents will benefit from, like street cleansing and general maintenance.
- We will deliver a new Cheshire Archives Facility for our Borough as part of a history centre and education experience, where people can come to learn about our heritage and their family history through our network of libraries. We will also continue to provide funding for our network of museums and visitor experiences so that they can stay open to the public, despite others across the country having to close due to government cuts.
- We will make it simpler and easier for neighbours to apply to close their road for a few hours, so that they can have a street party to celebrate a national event for example.
