2021 Cultural Update

• Economic Relief Funding

Responding to gaps in Government support, we awarded over £5m of funds to 324 creative and cultural businesses to tackle the impact of Covid-19.

• Paines Plough’s ROUNDABOUT

We worked with leading playwrighting company, Paines Plough, to present ROUNDABOUT, an outstanding programme of new plays and community events, in Brixton. Alumni of The Old Vic’s Front Line programme, received paid work experience. 

• Make It In Brixton

As part of the Brixton Creative Enterprise Zone, a new website showcasing Brixton’s creative scene, went live in March.

• 81 Acts Project

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1981 Brixton uprisings, 81 community-led activities and events are taking place from April 2021 and through 2022. Visit 81 Acts for more details and how to get involved.

• Line of Light

We celebrated the Northern line extension by supporting 3km of outdoor illuminations, projections and soundscapes following the route of the new tunnels between Battersea Power Station and Kennington. Learn more about this collaboration with Wandsworth Council here.

Local businesses and communities came to mingle at two outdoor festivals – at New Union Square, SW11 and Wilcox Road, SW8 – with backing from Lambeth and Vauxhall One BID.

• Engine of Recovery

Southbank Centre, National Theatre, Rambert, The Old Vic and Young Vic saw a huge decline in visitors due to the pandemic. But our report, commissioned with South Bank Business Improvement District, reveals how they represent a fantastic engine of recovery – capable of generating £500m Gross Value Added for the economy.

• London Recovery Framework

We’ve successfully advocated for culture to be a key theme within the London Economic Recovery Framework – recognising its huge importance to London’s Global City status.

• Lambeth Guiding Course at Morley College

In a first for any borough south of the river, a year-long course will create leaders for walking tours, shining a spotlight on Lambeth’s gems and hidden histories.

Lambeth has committed funding to some fantastic capital projects that have come to fruition this year.  

• Studio Voltaire

Studio Voltaire has more than doubled its public spaces after a £2.8 million renovation. It now supports over 60 artists, including artists with learning disabilities through its partnership with Action Space.

• 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning

198, an anchor for Black artists since 1988, reopened with spectacular expanded facilities, affordable workspaces and spaces for education and community, plus an archive and new galleries.  

• ASC Streatham Hill

We helped safeguard 59 affordable artist studios at ASC Streatham Hill.  

It’s been a great year for TAP! 

• Inspired photos

Until Christmas, visit a photo exhibition exploring leadership in local communities taken by four local artists inspired by 1903 portraits of Lambeth councillors. Spectemur Agendo, By Our Actions May We Be Known, is co-commissioned with Photofusion.

• Online: My Heart Will Always Be In Brixton

Now at Google Arts & Culture, visit My Heart Will Always Be In Brixton – created over a six month residency by artist Linett Kamala, focusing on the activism of Olive Morris and good education for all.  

• Coming Up: Air

From 11 January 2022, you can see Marina Vitaglione’s images of local air pollution and learn about our approach to tackling it in an exhibition created with scientists from the London Air Quality Network. 

To enable everyone under 30 to shape culture – music, fashion, theatre, art, design, digital and more – we launched ELEVATE’s new three-year plan. It has three strands: Education, Careers and Neighbourhoods. 

• ELEVATE Education

This summer, ELEVATE and Boury Academy led 3,500 students across 50 schools in a Lambeth student flash mob. At our first Cultural Connections evening in November, we invited culture sector professionals and teachers to collaborate on more inspiring arts and culture offers. 

• Our Creative Futures

London South Bank University hosted a two–day online symposium for young people, cultural workers and educators to strengthen pathways into creative employment. 

• ELEVATE Careers

ELEVATE Careers is creating paid work experience, training and career opportunities in the creative industries for 16-30 year olds, collaborating with employers to address a lack of diversity. We’ve appointed Counterculture to support the expansion of ELEVATE Careers, and more offers will be announced in 2022.

• ELEVATE Neighbourhoods

Devised by ELEVATE’s youth advisory group, the Elevators, ELEVATE Neighbourhoods ran seven projects – from digital game design to the art of choreography – to engage people aged 14-19 with cultural activities.

Covid Recovery Funding will enable Neighbourhoods to continue next year, stimulating a love and talent for creativity, fostering confidence and mental wellbeing, and helping make Lambeth one of the best places to grow up.

For a taste of projects watch Neon’s short video trailer.

Find out more about ELEVATE.