Delivering for Culture

Who’s who?

This strategic framework will guide the work of Birmingham’s Cultural Compact but will clearly require the support of a wide range of partners across the city, the region and beyond. In this final section of the framework we outline key roles and responsibilities, as well as an action and outcomes framework to oversee programme delivery.

The Cultural Compact

The Compact brings together stakeholders from a range of sectors to help culture thrive and grow in the city and, in turn, increase the city’s health, wellbeing, resilience, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. One of its first actions on being launched in 2024 was to initiate and oversee the development of Birmingham’s new Cultural Strategy 2025 – 2035, which has now emerged as this strategic framework. 

The Compact will oversee this strategy, its delivery priorities and it will work with partners to meet the strategic objectives around new investment, greater inclusion, a stronger workforce and of course, how culture can play a part in placemaking. The Compact will also have a role to play in bringing the sector together, and in reporting back to the sector and to the wider people and businesses of the city, how the city is performing.

A clear early priority for the Compact will be governance and, given the overarching focus in this framework on funding and resources, a transparent and open approach to how new resources are shared across the sector and how partners and stakeholders are able to feed into and inform the Compact’s work. This last challenge could be the focus of the next phase of sector engagement. 

Regional Partnerships (inc. Culture Central)

There are a number of key partners across the West Midlands who will be critical to the delivery of this framework. These would include the sector champion organisation Culture Central, the West Midlands Combined Authority and the West Midlands Growth Company, all of whom have an important part to play in delivering on culture. 

An image of the train station and bike riders
An image of the landscape of Birmingham

Birmingham City Council

Birmingham City Council is the largest in Europe and recognizes that investing in culture brings wide-ranging economic, social, tourism and quality of life benefits to its citizens and visitors.

In September 2023 the City Council issued what is known as an S114 notice to signal that it could no longer fund culture and arts as before. The council will engage and support the Cultural Compact in the delivery of the new Birmingham Cultural Strategy, as far as its significant funding challenges allow, including:

  • Advocating for and unlocking further funding opportunities for culture and enabling, where possible, existing publicly funded cultural programmes to be available as match for new public & privately funded cultural initiatives. (Pillar 1)

  • Supporting the development of a City Cultural Attractions Pass, and potentially a Cultural Resident’s Pass, plus contributing to developing signposting of the city’s main cultural offer. (Pillar 2)

  • Advocating for, and potentially developing or commissioning, new cultural sector skills programmes and business support; to make it easier to enter, survive and develop a career within the creative & cultural ecosystem of the city (Pillar 3)

Supporting the further alignment of local and national planning mechanisms and funding with the cultural needs and opportunities of our diverse wards. This action potentially leading to an increase in the amount of statutory cultural investment that is embedded across the city, such as through the provision of new value for money maker and participation spaces. (Pillar 4)

  • Continuing the economic and social development of our local centres through the work of cultural, neighbourhood, community and business improvement teams including, e.g., developing follow-on programmes to Cultural Action Areas and bringing under-utilized heritage buildings back into use. (Pillar 4)

  • Supporting increased collaboration and community cohesion between Birmingham neighbourhoods leading to, e.g., cross-cultural activity such as new approaches to music and food festivals. (Pillar 5)

  • Advocating for Birmingham as a global cultural city and supporting work that could establish major new cultural initiatives for the city, such as a new International Cultural Festival or new National Centre for Musical Theatre. (Pillar 6)

It’s All About Impact

Actions and Outcomes framework

For each of the actions set out in the framework, we have collated a set of desired outcomes associated with that action, as well as performance indicators and a suggested programme lead. This table of actions and outcomes is of course, subject to change and it should be highlighted that there are other actions and activities set out in the framework which the Compact and partners may choose to take forward which sit outside of this table. 

The big picture

Strategic read across

A birds eye view of the city from above

Curtain call
Thanks and acknowledgements

Interviews

  • Rachael Thomas, CEO, The Rep

  • Anita Bhalla, Chair, B:Music

  • Nick Reed, CEO, B:Music

  • Joanne Roney, Managing Director - Birmingham City Council

  • Lyle Bignon, Night Time Economy Advisor 

  • Becky Frall, Head of Tourism, WM Growth Company

  • Suzie Norton, Director, Create Central

  • Kate Tague, Chief Exec, Birmingham Ormiston Academy

  • Emma Stenning, Chief Exec, CBSO - City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

  • Mohammed Ali, CEO and Artistic Director,  Soul City Arts

  • Jon Gilchrist, Artistic Director & Chief Executive, Birmingham Hippodrome 

  • Dr Steve Ball, Sector Rep Chair,  Birmingham LGBT

  • Gurminder Sehint, Director, No.11 Arts

  • Tom Jones, Director, No.11 Arts

  • James Kennedy, Director, No.11 Arts

  • Laura Breakwell, Director,  No.11 Arts

  • Sir David Normington, Chair, Birmingham Royal Ballet

  • Paul James, Chief Commercial Officer, Birmingham Royal Ballet

  • Rachael Thomas, CEO, Birmingham REP Theatre

  • Toby Norman-Wright, Senior Relationship Manager, Arts Council England

  • Sarah Kennedy, Senior Relationship Manager, Arts Council England

  • Councillor David Barker, Brandwood & Kings Heath Ward

  • Henriette Breukelaar, West Midlands Regional Director at the Canal and River Trust

  • Matt Hammond, Partner PwC. Chairman of the West Midlands Growth Company

  • Ian Hyde, Chief Executive Officer, Ikon Gallery

  • Cllr Darius Sandhu, Opposition member for Digital, Culture, Heritage & Tourism

  • Tom Epps, Birmingham City Council Libraries

  • Dawn Beaumont, Birmingham City Council Libraries

Unless otherwise stated all images courtesy of Birmingham City Council

People relaxing and drinking under umbrellas in the sun

Cultural Co-Design Event, The Exchange

  • Birmingham Open Studios

  • DESIblitz

  • FlatpackProjects

  • The GAP

  • KD Culture / Keneish Dance

  • Victoria Park Productions

  • Open Theatre

  • Helga Henry Ltd

  • Ikon Gallery

  • Birmingham Royal Ballet

  • Birmingham Race Impact Group

  • University of Birmingham

  • Grand Union

  • Midlands Arts Centre

  • Birmingham Contemporary Music Group

  • West Midlands Growth Company

  • The GAP Arts Project

  • Birmingham Hippodrome

  • Colmore BID / City Centre BIDs

  • Legacy WM

  • SAMPAD

  • B:Music / Symphony Hall and Town Hall Birmingham

  • Live Music Mapping Project/Aston University

  • Sonia Sabri Company

  • Queer-Side CIC

  • Stan's Cafe

  • CBSO

  • Annatomix

  • Punch / Brig

  • STEAMhouse

  • Birmingham Repertory Theatre

  • Stan's Cafe

  • Birmingham Design

  • The GAP Arts Project

  • United By 2022 Charity

  • Eastside Projects

  • David Furmage, Freshlook Creative

Workshops

  • Workshop, Legacy Centre

  • Workshop, Students from Birmingham Ormiston Academy

  • Workshop, Students from Birmingham City University

  • All Birmingham residents who completed the online ’Together on Culture’ survey

A group of young people collaborating in conversation

Credit: David Furnage

Compact Members (2025/26)

  • David Mba, Birmingham City University (Chair)

  • Cllr. Saima Suleman, Birmingham City Council

  • Emma Stenning, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

  • Symon Easton, Birmingham City Council

  • Erica Love, Culture Central

  • James Watts, Arup

  • Alex Tross, Colmore Bid

  • Gurjit Jagpal, Head of Goldman Sachs Birmingham

  • Sara Jones, University of Birmingham

  • Tim Boyes, Birmingham Education Partnership

  • Brian Carr, BVSC

  • Mohammed Ali, Soul City Arts

  • Simon Delahunty Forrest, Birmingham City Council

  • Lyle Bignon, Night Time Economy

  • Nick Reed, B:Music

  • Hayley Pepler, WMCA

  • Matt Hammond, West Midlands Growth Company

  • Clara Day, NHS

  • Henriette Breukelaar, Canal and River Trust

  • Jon Gilchrist, Birmingham Hippodrome

  • Jo Tonkin, Birmingham City Council

Observers

Toby Norman-Wright / Sarah Kennedy, Arts Council England

Appendix: Co-design and engagement programme results

Online Survey – Summary

96% of respondents believe major cuts to culture and the arts in Birmingham makes the city a less attractive place to live, work and invest. Respondents see investing in culture and arts as essential for economic growth, social cohesion, and maintaining Birmingham’s identity as a diverse and creative hub.