Arts

For too long Medway’s cultural potential has been underestimated and Medway has not achieved all that it might. There is now an opportunity to change this, to raise expectations and to achieve them. Medway Council intends to make the value and the contribution of culture in all its forms more visible and more relevant to people in Medway and to its economy. It will take a leadership role and will work across boundaries with a range of partners to improve the reputation and the quality of cultural life in Medway and in the surrounding Thames Gateway area, drawing in resources and investment to help achieve this.

The cultural statement is not a Medway Council document but a statement which sets out the aspirations of its partners and the broad actions required to fulfil them under six themes:

• image and identity,
• environment and infrastructure,
• work and the economy,
• equalities and diversity,
• quality of life and community well-being,
• learning and personal attainment.

This can only be achieved through a collective and sustained effort to identify what the people of Medway want in the way of cultural facilities and opportunities and what is to be done to achieve them.

The intention is to provide the basis on which all of those involved in the cultural development of Medway can work together in a constructive and coherent way for Medway to become a city of culture, learning, tourism and high technology.

Medway has a proud past and an exciting future but its cultural economy is currently under-developed. The council and its partners will encourage the development of a thriving, creative economy in Medway, bringing opportunities for employment and generating an atmosphere of energy and passion.

Medway’s ethnic mix is increasing. The council will support cultural activities that develop the confidence and pride of all Medway's communities and celebrate the creativity of its residents, young and old. The expansion of education facilities in Medway will encourage personal development and learning to ensure that people of all ages have many opportunities to develop as creative individuals and to excel. The council aims to retain a higher proportion of students who choose to live and work in Medway and to support the continuing development of a vibrant evening economy.

It is intended that detailed action plans will be developed within the service plans and business plans of the council and partner organisations. The cultural statement brings together the cultural elements of other strategic documents in Medway, such as the Community Plan and the economic development, arts, sports, leisure and regeneration strategies. By September 2009, the council intends to draw these strands together into a Cultural Strategy for Medway.

The full statement - Creating a City of Culture (pdf, 5,470KB) is available to download. To use this file you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have it on your computer, please use our advice page.

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