Freelance Consultancy Brief: Strengthening Community Voice in Cultural Decision-Making

In 2024-25, Salford CVS, on behalf of Salford Culture and Place Partnership (SCPP), used UK Shared Prosperity Fund resources to commission research into community consultation and accessibility in Salford’s cultural sector. Building on this foundation, Salford City Council is now commissioning a follow-on piece of work to help us realise our ambition to embed genuine community representation in cultural decision-making. This next phase aims to create an action plan that will inform the development of a lasting strategy and framework for inclusive engagement.

Salford has also submitted an application to the Arts Council England Creative People and Places (CPP) programme. The outcome, expected in October 2025, could have significant bearing to this work. The successful applicant will be expected to actively engage the potential CPP consortium and consider their approach in relation to both a successful and unsuccessful CPP outcome.

This work also aligns with the Arts Council England’s Joint Cultural Needs Assessment (JCNA) framework, which supports place-based cultural planning through evidence-led collaboration. The JCNA encourages local authorities and partners to use data and community insight to shape inclusive, responsive cultural strategies that reflect the needs and aspirations of local people.

There is a fixed fee of £20,000 to support this work.