Cultural Development
Ebbsfleet's Cultural Infrastructure Prospectus
Ebbsfleet’s Cultural Infrastructure Prospectus welcomes the creative sector to help make Ebbsfleet a great place to live, work and visit, outlining ambitions for spaces, infrastructure and creative programming.
Cultural Placemaking has been championed by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation over the past five years throughout the delivery of Ebbsfleet Garden City, embedding community at the heart of planning, design and management of public spaces and activities across Ebbsfleet and neighbouring communities.
Acknowledging the important role arts, culture and heritage will continue to play in shaping the growing community, the Cultural Infrastructure Prospectus will set ambitions for Ebbsfleet to become a cultural and creative hub within the Thames Estuary Production Corridor, highlighting future opportunities which will make Ebbsfleet an attractive destination to relocate to.
Ebbsfleet Development Corporation continues on its commitment to champion culture and creativity within the growing community of Ebbsfleet. The Corporation looks forward to working with the support of partners and peers to deliver a community-led plan for embedding the creative sector in the heart of Ebbsfleet.
Ebbsfleet's Culture Vision
Through project delivery, wide consultation and best practise research, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation has developed a Culture Vision and Strategy for Ebbsfleet that will underpin the approach to cultural placemaking.
The culture vision for Ebbsfleet is one of wide-ranging participation in ‘everyday arts and culture’ and curated cultural experiences that bring joy and inspiration to people’s lives.
Ebbsfleet Development Corporation intend to deliver this vision through 3 key priorities:
- A community-led cultural programme
- Co-locating and integrating cultural facilities into community buildings and outdoor spaces
- Developing life and work skills
Ebbsfleet's Cultural Stratgey
The core mission of this strategy is to create a sustainable and inclusive cultural ecology that responds to and serves Ebbsfleet’s communities. Through consultation with stakeholders, cultural organisations, and residents, we’ve developed a vision that aligns culture with the town’s development, and positions Ebbsfleet as leader in cultural placemaking for the next generation of garden cities.
Creative Estuary
Alongside Creative Estuary and the Cultural Development Fund, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation have been closely involved in the development of a Cultural Planning Toolkit with the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA).
The toolkit is to help secure arts and cultural infrastructure through development, redevelopment and the land use planning process. It is for use by local planning authorities, town planners, developers, property and asset managers, landowners, the creative sector, or agents working for any or all of them. The work will also be of use to investors, whether public, private, community ownership or joint ventures.
The Creative Exchange
The Creative Exchange is an exciting new programme to develop artistic and cultural activities for the communities of Ebbsfleet Garden City and surrounding neighbourhoods. As part of this we are setting up The Creative Exchange Forum which will act as a voice for the community and build Ebbsfleet’s cultural and arts projects. The Creative Exchange is a partnership programme from Ebbsfleet Garden City, Blueprint Arts, Emergency Exit Arts, Cohesion Plus with co-investment from Creative Estuary.
Looking Forward To-Morrow: Ebbsfleet's Public Art Strategy
This public art strategy for Ebbsfleet, the first Garden City to be created in 100 years, takes inspiration from the roots of the Garden City movement and the vision that Ebenezer Howard first set out in the 1890’s.
Howard envisaged a radical campaign for co-operative living that would combine the best of both town and country – bringing together high-quality housing with employment opportunities whilst placing significant emphasis on creating places that would improve people’s health and wellbeing. This historical Garden City movement believed deeply in the role arts and culture could play in improving people’s lives with a theatre being the first public building to be created in Welwyn Garden City.
Looking Forward To-Morrow aims to challenge preconceived ideas around what public art may be, to encourage innovation and allow ambitious and progressive projects to flourish in Ebbsfleet. As you move through this document you will see a series of case study projects that demonstrate best practice and underpin the vision for public art set out in this strategy.