I grew up believing the world of art and culture wasn’t for people like me.
It was only after taking on the Culture portfolio, in my former role as Cabinet Member for Homes and Culture at Southampton City Council, that I realised I had grown up with so much culture, but had just not defined it as such. I want to ensure that everyone’s culture is valued, celebrated and brings people together.
More than just ‘art for arts sake’, I believe culture plays an invaluable role in growing the local economy, helping to address social needs and giving us a sense of pride and belonging in Southampton.
Likewise with sport and leisure, we will only be able to tackle inequalities within health and wellbeing if we invest more and make these services more accessible to everyone.
When I was a Cabinet Member, I launched Southampton’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2025, for which we are now finalists. The City of Culture journey has the ability to transform Southampton, create opportunities for local people and to help us reach our full potential on a national and international platform.
Being a board member of Arts Council England has further aided me in influencing regional and national policy within this sector.
Initiatives and projects
I am proud of the initiatives I worked on in my cabinet role, including:
- Transforming Southampton’s Libraries Service so that, unlike other areas in the country, no Southampton libraries have had to close and have instead been recognised as community hubs.
- Helping launch an arts programme within the Council’s youth teams, in partnership with John Hansard Gallery, which resulted in a reduction in youth reoffending in the city. The project is now used as an example of best practice nationally.
- Growing Southampton’s tourism and visitor economy. Maximising our transport links as the busiest cruise port in Europe, leading projects to help make Southampton a destination city.
- Protecting and evolving Southampton’s rich heritage, so that future generations can learn from our past.
- Using Southampton’s open spaces to make Southampton a place where something is always happening. From street parties to big music festivals, we put events at the heart of what the city is known for.
- Redeveloping Southampton’s Outdoor Sports Centre to not only improve health inequalities, but to help local people reach their sporting potential and to help us become a regional leisure hub drawing in visitors and investment.