archive 2004

Secretary of State Tessa Jowell today launched a new booklet providing practical advice to local authorities and other organisations on how to use culture and sport in their areas to build community cohesion.

 

The booklet, Bringing Communities Together Through Sport and Culture, was inspired by a seminar, held in Oldham in March 2004, to discuss ways in which culture and sport can create a sense of local pride and belonging.

 

In her Foreword, Tessa Jowell says:

 

"The Oldham event proved that authorities, agencies and community groups are increasingly focused on how the arts, sports and museums can support communities in improving the quality of local life.

 

"We must now use these networks of expertise and enthusiasm to meet the changing needs of young people and their communities and make sporting and cultural initiatives work in the future."

 

Five aspects of using sport and culture to build community cohesion are highlighted in the booklet: needs analysis; partnerships; growing and adapting projects; evidence and evaluation; and celebration.  Celebration is described as the x-factor which explains why communities respond so well to artistic, cultural and sporting initiatives.

 

The DCMS, as the lead department for sport and culture, now intends to build on the work with its agencies and key departments such as the Home Office and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to support grass roots initiatives and local needs more flexibly.

 

 

1. The seminar and booklet is a partnership initiative between the DCMS, Government Office North West, Government Office Yorkshire and the Humber, the Home Office Community Cohesion Unit and the regional arms of Arts Council England, Sport England and the Museums Libraries and Archives Council.

 

2. The seminar brought together local practitioners and regional agencies from the North West and parts of Yorkshire. Almost 100 delegates discussed how arts, sport and culture have helped to bring their communities together as well as analysing how their experiences could be used to shape similar projects or interventions in the future.

 

3. The booklet can downloaded from the DCMS website or hard copies of the booklet can be obtained from:

 

Amy Ward
Strategy, Policy and Delivery Unit
DCMS
2-4 Cockspur Street
London
SW1Y 5DH