CT Consults

The Coastal Capital of Culture: Mentoring in Blackpool

A group of people dance on the Blackpool Promenade

Blackpool is a tourism powerhouse and national treasure. Yet the cultural sector has always struggled to cut through the noise – the glitz and glamour often overshadowed its value to residents and visitors alike.

With major regeneration underway and a brand-new museum about to open, CTConsults was asked to mentor the fledgling Cultural Compact. We supported the group to develop a new cultural strategy, build cross-sector relationships and align partners behind a shared vision for the town’s cultural future.

A neon sign reads

The challenge

The brief was as punchy and direct as the town: “Blackpool was created differently to everywhere else. We need to continue to think excitingly, and without restriction, and with ambition!”

The approach

Our first step was to question who was in the room, and who was missing. This led to reshaping the Cultural Compact, bringing new voices into the conversation and ensuring the group was truly representative.

It quickly became clear that the cultural community needed to come together much more cohesively, and the strategy provided a stronger, united purpose. After leading on research and engagement, and supporting cross-sector advocacy – including Blackpool’s tourism industry– we co-designed a strategy development programme. With the Compact. The result? The Compact wrote the strategy themselves, alongside some mentoring from us with a writing team and editing group.

The impact

This approach — praised by Arts Council England as an innovative model worth replicating nationally — has already delivered tangible outcomes. The Cultural Compact is now more representative, collaborative and strategic. The new cultural strategy gives Blackpool’s cultural sector a unified voice and clearer influence in shaping the town’s future alongside its world-famous tourism offer.

  • Creative Blackpool secured £750k of funding as a Place Partnership.
  • A Partnerships Director is now in post, and new Programme Officers are delivering initiatives to boost cultural ambition and awareness for young people.
  • Young people from House of Wingz now sit on Blackpool Council’s steering committee and were featured in The Guardian: link.
    Blackpool & The Fylde College received funding to deliver bespoke cultural leadership training, with CTConsults supporting elements of the programme.

Over 80 cultural stakeholders contributed and reached agreement on a vision, mission and values with four clear priorities to drive cultural leadership, sector development, creative communities and boosting the role of culture in regeneration and the visitor economy.

An older woman faces the camera displaying a
CTConsults were able to expertly guide a wide variety of organisations and individuals with differing agendas to a focused discussion and agreed next steps and ultimately a collaborative cultural strategy.”

Kerry Vasilou, Creative Blackpool Partnership Director

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