Labour Party Conference

Cultural & Rural Round-up

Holly Lombardo, Director NRTF

2024, Liverpool

The Labour Conference was a hive of meets, sessions and workshops. I am not sure there has ever been a higher number of cultural professionals present before and it shows a shift in influence from our sector. The pavilion and outside fringe aimed to highlight the importance of the creative sectors in driving economic growth and community well-being. Creative UK led the Pavilion inside the conference - www.conference.wearecreative.uk .

Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport expressed Labour’s commitment to "cultural enrichment, community empowerment, and investment in the creative industries". She emphasised the importance of making arts and culture accessible to everyone, not just a privileged few, criticising past cuts to enrichment funding in schools and the closure of libraries and youth centers, calling it "cultural vandalism".

Lisa also said there was a need to give power back to local communities, allowing them to reclaim their cultural assets. The aims include supporting community-led initiatives and ensuring that local voices are heard in decision-making processes. She outlined plans for significant investment in the creative industries, which support 800,000 jobs and contribute ￡125 billion to the UK economy annually. Within this strategy, Labour will undertake a review of the national curriculum to "put creativity and sport back at the heart of children’s development".

There was a theme of growth and culture. There is the understanding that leveraging culture and creativity will enhance community life and drive economic progress. Recognising the role of Culture in Regeneration will foster economic growth, enhance community well-being, and support local infrastructure. Labour aims to invest in the cultural and creative industries as part of a broader industrial strategy. The Creative industries is seen as crucial for "inclusive growth" and boosting the UK’s “Gross Value Added”. There was also a focus on the need for more investment in research and development within creative clusters. Labour sees this investment as essential for driving socio-economic change and unlocking further growth.

Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, announced a significant investment into rural infrastructure, mainly rivers. He said they are committed to treating rural communities with respect and addressing their unique needs and aspirations. This includes devolving power to local communities to better manage their own affairs. Let's hope these discussions reflect Labour’s broader commitment to ensuring that rural areas are not overlooked and that their specific challenges are addressed.

Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, emphasised the need for a strategy to break down barriers to regional growth. Financial support into infrastructure across all regions. She also highlighted the importance of giving power to local communities and supporting community ownership, ensuring local voices are heard in decision-making processes.

Sir Keir Starmer, said the arts should be accessible to all, which mirrors the Lets Create ACE Strategy. He acknowledged the significant economic contribution of the creative industries and argued that this could be even greater with improved access and support. He said investing in the arts is not just about cultural enrichment but also about economic growth and spoke about the role of culture in enriching lives and communities. He agrees that cultural engagement should be a right for all, "not a privilege for a few".

This Labour Party conference has certainly brought the Arts and Creative industries back into the conversation and recognises its importance and potential in parallel to other sectors. As creative leaders, we need to keep up the volume and continue to ensure a cultural sector lens is put on all policies. The Creative and cultural sectors are not separate things, that tack on to people's lives and communities, it is what brings us together. It is intrinsic to driving positive change, making life better and richer. Not only does it drive growth, which is at the heart of the labour manifesto, but it underpins it and enables us to celebrate what is good in the world. Let's hope Labour do what they say they will and take words into action.