Case studies

Since 2015 Liverpool has looked at how to change the narrative around itself as a music city. While celebrating our music heritage we needed to showcase the diversity of our current music offer and the strength of our music industry sector. The establishment of a Music Board and a Music office put the building blocks in place for a Music Sector Development programme which would show that the music industry could be a key economic driver. We already had a good base on which to build with companies such as Sentric, Ad Lib and Modern Sky based in the city region.

All Set West is a bold skills package for the West of England region; designed to support emerging talent to access opportunities in scripted film and TV production.

Each district in West Yorkshire has benefited from a year of culture, concluding with Bradford as UK City of Culture in 2025. Plans for 2026 and onwards have been co-designed with districts and wider stakeholders including arms-length bodies.

Citizens for Culture demonstrates how cultural policy can be reshaped when citizens are placed at the heart of decision‑making. In the West of England, a diverse group of residents came together through a region‑wide Citizens’ Assembly to rethink how culture is experienced, valued and governed.

The Amelia Scott is a landmark cultural and community hub in the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells. It brings together the museum, library, registration services, adult education, and visitor information under one roof, creating a vibrant civic space that serves both residents and visitors.

Recognising the local challenge of high levels of physical inactivity, Westminster City Council and RBKC have integrated physical activity into existing workflows in adult social care to deliver great outcomes through an effective, scalable approach.

Beyond Empower CIC delivers programmes that increase the capacity of mainstream sport and activity provision to meet the needs of local disabled people and those with long-term health conditions.Through its Empower You approach, funded by NHS Greater Manchester and Trafford Council, Beyond Empower helps reduce demand on specialist health and social care services by creating inclusive, accessible opportunities for disabled people to be active and manage their health and wellbeing in mainstream, community environments. Alongside this, its community outreach service provides longer-term, activity-focused social care support — helping disabled people stay connected, active and independent in their communities.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council worked with the Richmond Group of Charities and Together an Active Future (TaAF) to localise the We Are Undefeatable (WAU) campaign to inspire residents with health conditions to be more active.

Greater Manchester has adopted a whole-system approach towards physical activity led by Greater Manchester Moving. For every £1 invested in community sport and physical activity, £4.38 is generated for economy and society.

Flippin' Pain is a public health initiative addressing attitudes to chronic pain. This initiative delivered many events challenging outdated pain perceptions, empowered individuals through education, and repositioned the narrative to emphasise being active with pain rather than simply managing it.