A closer look at Citizens for Culture: new summary report and resources now live

Last Autumn, 51 people from across the West of England came together through Citizens for Culture to answer a simple question: What would culture and creativity look like if they were for everyone?

Today, we’re sharing a new set of resources to help more people explore what happened — and what comes next. Alongside the full Citizens for Culture Report, we’ve published a new summary report and a set of dedicated web pages that bring together the key outcomes of the Assembly: the Citizens’ Cultural Plan, 13 regional priorities and actions, and place-based aspirations for each part of the region.

A way to dip in

The new summary report is designed as a way to dip into the Assembly. It offers key facts, figures and reflections from the process, while pointing to the full report for those who want to explore in more depth. It captures some of the scale and ambition of the work:

• 51 citizens selected through a civic lottery after 15,100 invitations
• over 50 hours of deliberation and more than 1,500 hours of collective discussion
• a group that included many people who had never taken part in civic decision-making before

But beyond the numbers, it offers insight into how people from very different backgrounds came together to learn, reflect and agree a shared vision for culture across the region.

What citizens created

At the heart of the Assembly is the Citizens’ Cultural Plan — shaped by citizens and grounded in both local experience and regional thinking.

This includes:

• 13 regional priorities, each supported by short-, medium- and long-term actions
• place-based aspirations for Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
• a set of cross-cutting themes highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing culture across the region

Together, these form a clear starting point for how culture and creativity can play a stronger role in people’s lives — from wellbeing and education to local economies and community connection.

A shared picture of the region

One of the most striking aspects of the Assembly was how consistent some of the themes were across different places and perspectives.

Citizens highlighted:

• the importance of equitable access and inclusion
• the need for greater transparency in funding and decision-making
• the pressures on organisations around capacity and staffing
• the role of culture as a social and economic force
• and the need for stronger coordination and leadership across the region

These ideas are grounded in people’s lived experience.

What happens next

By publishing these resources, we hope to continue widening ownership of the Citizens’ Cultural Plan.

Over the coming months, Citizens for Culture is working with organisations, freelancers, networks and public bodies across the region through a series of roadshows and conversations. Together, we are exploring:

• what is already happening that aligns with the Plan
• where activity could be strengthened or better connected
• and where new approaches or partnerships may be needed

Citizens will remain involved through the Citizens for Culture Panel, helping to ensure that the work stays visible, accountable and grounded in the priorities set out through the Assembly.

Explore the work

Whether you’re a cultural organisation, a public body, a freelancer, or simply someone interested in culture in the West of England, these new resources are a way to explore the work — and to see how it connects to what you do.

You can:

• read the summary report
• explore the 13 regional priorities and actions
• discover the place-based aspirations
• or dive into the full Citizens for Culture Report

This is a shared plan — and its impact will depend on how it is taken forward across the region.

Visit https://citizensforculture.info/report for access to everything mentioned in this newsblog