Methodology

We recognise the value of culture and the role it can play in responding to the success of our borough.

Why Culture Richmond?

With this in mind we wanted to develop a new shared vision for our arts, library, parks and sport and fitness services over the next decade which would:

• Establish a definition for what we mean when we talk about culture in Richmond
• Provide the opportunity for engagement with Richmond’s current cultural sector as well as open up dialogue with new people and communities, including those not currently engaged with Richmond’s cultural services
• Embed culture within the wider context of the Council’s work
• Support the development of a sustainable, resilient and influential cultural sector which is agile and ready to respond to current and future priorities

How Culture Richmond was developed

In September 2020 we began a period of information gathering, engagement and conversations to help inform a new vision for culture.

The aims of this process were to:

• Inform and guide the development of a new vision for the Council’s cultural services
• Hear from existing cultural organisations and users to develop a picture of the current cultural landscape in the borough
• Open dialogue with new stakeholders and begin to understand some of the reasons behind non-engagement with culture
• Discuss how cultural services can support public health & wellbeing, children, young people & youth and the borough’s climate change agenda

What we did

• Carried out a literature review of relevant local and national strategies and existing research, data, consultation and examples of best practice
• Mapped Richmond’s current cultural infrastructure
• Held interviews and conversations with Council officers across culture, public health, Achieving for Children, economic development and tourism to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
• Launched the Richmond Culture Review: an online survey; workshops and focus groups
• Involved Arts Council England, the GLA, Parks for London, London Sport and Richmond Council’s Consultation, Community Engagement & Communications teams in the development

Richmond Culture Review: online survey

761 local people & 102 organisations took part in a public survey January – February 2021.

View an analysis of the survey results.

Richmond Culture Review: online workshop and focus groups

In March 2021 representatives from 45 local organisations and businesses and 56 members of the public took part in online workshops and focus groups, some of which were led by 64 million artists.

View a summary of the workshops and focus groups (pdf, 2.8 MB).

‘A local authority that is investing in culture – fantastic’
Survey respondent Feb 2021

Next: Context: Richmond today