From setback to strategic renewal: How Havering is rewriting the rules

Havering is one of those places often in the headlines for the wrong reasons – one of many local authorities confronting huge financial challenges. In a worrying context of austerity and rapid change, places like Havering face a dual crisis: a need to protect the cultural industries from an entirely economic valuation, but also in an intense battle between conflicting causes and cuts, never forgetting that culture is essential to our lives.

But it takes imagination and boldness. Havering’s experience, inspired by the setback of our unsuccessful London Borough of Culture bid in March 2024, has been to use that process as a catalyst for transformation.

Recognising our borough is evolving faster than much of the country, we have reimagined an approach to cultural provision. Our strategy, A Good Life, is a bold moment, built with partners, designed to tell a better story.

Meeting Havering’s needs

With a population larger than Plymouth, Havering is rapidly changing, ranking 11th in the UK for demographic shifts. The borough is getting younger, with a 26.5% rise in residents aged 25–39 and a 24.3% increase in those aged 0–19. Yet it still has London’s oldest median age at 40.

Ethnic diversity is growing, with 33.5% of residents now identifying as non-white British, up from 16.7% in 2011. A 10.4% population increase and a surge in new housing have reshaped the community.

With change comes social fragmentation and intolerance, making culture a vital solution. Havering struggles with education – only 29.5% hold Level 4 qualifications, while 20% have none. Social anxiety affects 55% of young people’s cultural participation. Health challenges, including obesity, stroke prevalence and high disability rates, continue to impact wellbeing.

Urgent need for intervention

And Havering’s cultural ecology is notably underdeveloped – a challenge, but a real opportunity too. The borough has one of the lowest levels of public engagement in culture across London, suffers from minimal per capita cultural spend, and faces a stark shortage of creative businesses and artist facilities.

This severe under-resourcing underscores the urgency to intervene. A new cultural strategy is not merely desirable – it’s critical for the future vitality of our borough, ensuring Havering’s cultural contribution is recognised as a vital part of the broader London story.

The disappointment of our unsuccessful Borough of Culture bid last year catalysed a decisive shift. Rather than yielding to the inevitable letdown, often the case when such campaigns don’t deliver, Havering mobilised swiftly. Enabled by Havering Council, we engaged with stakeholders and funders to launch an immediate £1.5m fundraising campaign.

This was a move not only about securing new resources after encouraging conversations, but a statement of cultural self-determination. Transforming a moment of setback into the foundation for a community-centred cultural strategy meeting Havering’s complex challenges head on.

Continues…

Diwali celebrations in Havering featuring traditional music and dance. Photo: Hannah Davis

Everything in partnership

A Good Life is underpinned by cross-sector partnerships. At the heart of our approach lies in helping partners – including cash-strapped local authorities – adopt fresh methods of policymaking, fundraising and service delivery, effectively removing the creative barriers often encountered daily.

We have quickly built robust collaborations across local businesses, educational institutions, cultural and community organisations and government bodies, working together to co-create the strategy. This has included a wide-ranging collaboration with the Centre for Performance, Technology and Equity (PTEQ) at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

We’ve secured record levels of strategic investment from national partners attracted by the London Borough of Culture process and the conversations following it. But we matched this with the support of ambitious local partners, shaping the delivery through a Partnership Panel. Together, we’ve raised £1.6 million in less than nine months – a 99% return on investment.

And as from the start, local people sit at the heart of everything. We’ve recruited a People’s Panel of 20 local residents, brilliantly committed to authentically shaping cultural policy. It’s a co-creation model that builds trust and ensures that A Good Life is constantly learning from the evolving needs of our diverse community. And it is always with an intention to ensure a quality and rigour of artistic practice that is national and international in outlook.

Shaping A Good Life

A Good Life seeks to shift the broader cultural narrative, ensuring that every resident in Havering feels part of the vision. This is a unique moment to move beyond cultural strategy as an off-the-shelf grey idea and make it tangible, accessible and energetic.

We want people across the borough to shape, build and own the concept of A Good Life in their daily lives, and for this project to be a shared vision for how we see ourselves – one that belongs to everyone and reflects the aspirations of Havering’s communities.

Havering’s journey – from bid setback to the development of A Good Life – demonstrates that genuine cultural partnership is achievable, even amid severe funding cuts. Our strategy addresses underinvestment but also the pressing social issues emerging from an evolving community.

By embracing innovative partnerships, critical artistic practices and inclusive governance models, we are redefining culture for Havering as both an economic engine and an intrinsic part of everyday life.