North Northamptonshire Council has greenlit a new cultural masterplan aimed at bridging the region’s funding gap in the cultural sector. Currently, North Northamptonshire receives only £1.80 per capita in Arts Council funding, compared to the £6.19 in West Northamptonshire and £12.16 nationally. Despite this disparity, the area has a higher concentration of cultural and creative businesses than the wider East Midlands, contributing over £249 million to the local economy annually through cultural tourism.
The masterplan seeks to attract additional investment into theatres, art galleries, museums, and community cultural programmes. It aims to foster community cohesion, economic development, and placemaking, while aligning resources and efforts within the cultural and creative industries. The strategy will rely on central government funding, but external funding sources are expected to play a key role in its execution.
The plan is designed to cultivate a more vibrant and sustainable cultural landscape in North Northamptonshire, with a central vision for the next five years. The council has committed to working with local cultural and creative partners to realise this vision, but the funding for specific projects will be sourced externally. The council is now focusing on developing a detailed action plan and securing further funding for the local cultural sector.
