About Us
Our Organisation
Everything we do is designed to support and serve the flourishing of the cultural sector in Plymouth, and our hope is that our values, purpose, mission, and vision reflect this, positioning Plymouth Culture as a force that can power the cultural sector in Plymouth and support it to cohere together as a both united and diverse whole.
Our Values
Our values underpin how we work, and how we specifically hold and perform our role in powering arts and culture in Plymouth.
Openness
Supporting arts and culture to flourish in our city requires us to to be open, open to listening to what is serving the people of Plymouth, open to working closely with our many stakeholders to create a coherent whole that is more powerful than the sum of its parts, and open to change, working to ensure that our sector never becomes stagnant but can be adaptive and responsive at all times.
Curiosity
We remain curious, at all levels and to all parts of Plymouth’s diverse cultural landscape, being curious about what is emerging through the different groups of the city that create our sector.
Learning
We are constantly learning from the city and beyond, from other cultural hubs and organisations, from our mistakes and from our victories, testing, learning, calibrating and aligning to more powerfully support the growth of our sector.
Collaboration
Collaboration is at our core. It is what we do best and vital to attuning with and guiding an alive network of diverse stakeholders, artists and institutions.
We bring our first three values of openness, curiosity and learning deeply in to support our collaborative processes. The more collaborative we are, the more successful we become.
Aspiring
We aspire to be at the forefront of culture and arts in the UK, and our aspiration is for arts and culture to power Plymouth’s growth and wellbeing now and for years to come.
Our Purpose
Plymouth Culture is dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural ecosystem that nourishes growth, encourages connections, and celebrates the creative spirit of our city.
We serve as a key force that brings together diverse stakeholders, from artists to organisations, to collaborate and innovate, and amplify Plymouth’s cultural richness.
Our dedication to enhancing cultural connectivity fuels economic growth, strengthens community bonds, and paves the way for a flourishing future for all.
Our Vision
We envision a city where culture and the arts thrive at its core, empowering Plymouth to flourish creatively, economically and socially.
We believe culture and the arts serve as a unifying force, forging connections, igniting passion, and fostering collective purpose. By ensuring culture and the arts are at the heart of our city, we not only bring people together, but also cultivate joy, happiness, and a vibrant community spirit that is essential for Plymouth to grow, prosper, and thrive.
Our Mission
Our mission is to drive Plymouth forward by cultivating a dynamic and thriving cultural ecosystem.
We engage and collaborate closely with a diverse number of stakeholders, listening, supporting, guiding and leading the evolution of projects, individuals, and places to ensure Plymouth’s cultural sector contributes to the city’s overall prosperity
and wellbeing.
Our Priorities
ADVOCACY
& LEADERSHIP
We create advocacy: acting as a strong advocate for arts, culture and creativity. We highlight their value within our city.
We undertake research and provide insight: conducting research in the cultural field to demonstrate impact and value.
We promote Plymouth outside of the city: when appropriate we lead multi-partnership projects and initiatives, often securing external funding to create opportunities for the sector and the city.
Strategic Leadership: helping to secure investments and funding for our sector.
Representation: we contribute to a number of boards and forums to ensure Culture has a voice at the table.
NETWORKING & COLLABORATION
We create networking opportunities: connecting like-minded individuals, artists, sponsors, funders and community leaders.
We build a resilient and thriving cultural community: fostering a strong cultural community for mutual support and collaboration.
SUPPORT & RESOURCES
We provide resources: offering information, funding advice, and best practices from a wide pool of resources and existing industry knowledge and know-how.
We support people to develop skills: providing access to professional development, mentoring, and training resources.
VISIBILITY & PROMOTION
We raise awareness and profile: increasing visibility within the creative community, locally and beyond, of the incredible artists and cultural organisations that make Plymouth thrive.
We develop audiences: We raise awareness and encourage participation in the city-wide cultural offer.
Our Funding
Plymouth Culture is an independent charity, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). We receive core funding from Arts Council England (ACE) as aNational Portfolio Organisation (NPO), aligning our work to the ACE’s Strategy “Let’s Create” https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/lets-create)
We also receive core funding from Plymouth City Council as a strategic partner and lead for arts and culture in Plymouth.