Listening to the City
The Cultural Strategy was developed through one of the most extensive consultation processes ever undertaken for a cultural strategy in the UK. Over eighteen months, the project team engaged thousands of people across Coventry — from school children to senior citizens, from established arts organisations to grassroots community groups.
How We Consulted
Consultation took many forms: public meetings, online surveys, workshops with young people, roundtable discussions with cultural leaders, and one-to-one conversations in community centres, libraries and schools. The aim was to ensure that every voice had the opportunity to be heard.
Over 3,000 people contributed directly to the consultation process, with particular emphasis on reaching communities who are often excluded from cultural conversations.
What People Told Us
The consultation revealed a city proud of its cultural heritage but ambitious for its future. People wanted more opportunities to participate, more visibility for Coventry's cultural offer, and a strategy that genuinely reflected the city's diversity.
Young people, in particular, called for more spaces and platforms for creative expression. Community groups highlighted the importance of culture in building social cohesion and tackling isolation. Artists and cultural organisations asked for greater investment, better infrastructure and stronger partnerships.
These voices are woven throughout the strategy — in its goals, its principles, and its big ideas.