Cultural and Events Strategy
Have Your Say on creating a Cultural and Events Strategy for East Staffordshire
East Staffordshire Borough Council is starting a new project to create a Cultural and Events Strategy and we would like you to help shape it.
Culture and Events happen all across the Borough. It’s our festivals, our markets, our school plays, family days out, and our historic landmarks. It’s the things we enjoy, the places we care about, and the people who make East Staffordshire unique.
Throughout 2025, East Staffordshire Borough Council is working with national charity The Audience Agency to develop this strategy. We want it to reflect what matters to you as local people so we can use it to:
- Celebrate the people of East Staffordshire
- Support local groups and organisers
- Help us to apply for funding and investment
- Create a plan for how we deliver this work – over the next five years
Consultation will happen from July 2025 until October 2025 and we would like to hear from you.
What do we want to know:
- What do you enjoy about events, culture, and heritage already happening in East Staffordshire (Big or Small)?
- What could make it better?
- What do you think could help more people take part?
- What will need to happen to make it better to live, work, and play in East Staffordshire?
How to get Involved
Between now and October 2025 the team at The Audience Agency will be:
- Host pop-up events across the Borough and online
- Running a short survey to find out what matters to you
- Talking to community groups, volunteers, freelancers and businesses
- Listening to schools and young people
- Gathering ideas to help shape what happens next
Upcoming Opportunities
We’ll be hosting two initial stakeholder workshops on Wednesday 30th July from 10am-12pm in person at The Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent and Wednesday 13th August from 6pm-8pm virtually via Microsoft Teams. You can join either workshops by following the links below.
Stakeholder Workshops
In person Workshop – Wednesday 30th July – BOOK YOUR PLACE
Virtual Workshop – Wednesday 13th August – BOOK YOUR PLACE
We’ll post more opportunities to take part on this page, but you can submit your thoughts anytime, by completing our short survey. CLICK HERE TO START
Everyone is invited to share their views. It doesn’t matter if you don’t go to lots of events. You might help run them or just want to see more happening on the street where you live.
This is your place; we want to hear your voice.
Sign Up
Sign up here to stay updated.
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What is a Cultural and Events Strategy?
A cultural and events strategy is a plan. It helps a place like East Staffordshire make the most of its culture and celebrations. That includes its music, art, festivals, history, food and community traditions. It also includes how the plan might work for spaces and places like parks, bridges, museums and theatres.
A cultural and events strategy can be made for everyone from local people, community groups, artists, visitors and businesses take part in culture and feel proud of where they live.
Every strategy is different. Some focus mostly on local events and festivals. Others might focus more on heritage, the arts, or attracting business and funding.
Cultural strategies can help:
- Celebrate the area’s stories, past and present.
- Support local talent and creative ideas.
- Help bring people together through events and shared experiences.
- Show funders and partners what matters to a place and why.
- Help local businesses grow by attracting visitors and creating new jobs
- Show that somewhere is a great place to live, work and invest in.
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Who are The Audience Agency?
The Audience Agency (TAA) is an independent research and development charity whose purpose is to enable a thriving, people-centred cultural sector fit for the future, and better able to create cultural and creative opportunities for everyone. We provide research, services, and insight that help our network of clients and stakeholders adapt for and with their communities.
Our team is a collective of committed specialists with backgrounds in the cultural and creative sectors, and research who share a passion for arts and culture and its power to transform society.
TAA works across the UK and internationally, with an extensive range of cultural and creative organisations, academic partners, local authorities, funding bodies, and policymakers.
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Contact Us
For any questions about how your data may be used, please contact marketing@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk