Your chance to shape Ipswich’s 10-Year Culture & Heritage Strategy

Over the coming months, something important is taking shape in Ipswich.

Across the town, surveys, recordings and conversations led by a team representing local cultural, creative and community organisations and individuals are pinning down what makes Ipswich distinctive and how culture and heritage can help the town thrive over the next decade.

The aim is to produce a 10-year Culture and Heritage Strategy that is shaped by the diverse lived experiences of Ipswich’s communities — owned and delivered by the whole town, for the whole town.

A cultural strategy is important because it helps maximise the role culture plays in shaping a town’s identity, economy and wellbeing. It brings together residents, organisations and partners around a shared vision, helping to coordinate activity and unlock social and economic benefits that strengthen the place and the people who live there.

Work on Ipswich’s Culture and Heritage Strategy began last year through consultation initiated by Ipswich Borough Council. This second phase of consultation, led by cultural organisations and individuals across the town, and supported by Arts Council England, Ipswich Borough Council, Ipswich Central and Suffolk County Council, builds on the ideas, insights and evidence gathered so far.

Residents, partners and communities across Ipswich are now invited to share their perspectives, experiences and ambitions so that together we can shape a vibrant and inclusive future for culture and heritage in the town.

The Creativity Survey is now live, and people are encouraged to take part and share it with others.

Local filmmaker Tom Hobden has also been commissioned to gather stories that capture Ipswich through the eyes of its residents.

A day of Community Conversations will take place at Ancient House in the Buttermarket on Saturday 4 April, from 10am–4pm, when shoppers and retailers will be invited by volunteers to contribute their views. The event will coincide with the Street Performance Showcase taking place across the town centre.

By then, Ipswich will also know whether it has been long-listed for UK City of Culture 2029. While the ambition to deliver a 10-year Culture and Heritage Strategy will remain the same, the outcome of the competition may influence the pace and scale of what can be achieved.

In the coming months, a management and delivery structure involving representatives from culture, the creative industries, business, education, local government and community organisations will also be established, ensuring a truly collective voice and a strong framework to deliver Ipswich’s long-term ambitions for culture and heritage.

Lee Walker, CEO of Ipswich Central, who is part of the leadership team working on the new Culture and Heritage Strategy, said: “Culture in Ipswich has always been shaped by the people who live, work and create here. This consultation is about capturing that power and reflecting it in a long-term strategy.

As Ipswich prepares its bid for UK City of Culture 2029, it is more important than ever that local people help define the story we want to tell about our town. The insights and community conversations will help shape a 10-year vision that builds on what makes this place distinctive, ensuring culture and heritage continue to play a central role in Ipswich’s growth and identity.”

Kath Cockshaw, Project Director for Wolsey 550 who is part of the strategy team said: “I’m so pleased this will be a joint Culture and Heritage strategy for Ipswich. We have seen this work so well in other towns and cities. The two areas are completely interwoven and when they come together, much richer, more creative solutions and opportunities arise. This new 10-year strategy will capitalise on the town’s growing sense of cultural ambition, commitment from stakeholders, and recent investment in culture and heritage from the public and private sector. Ipswich’s star is rising.”

Ed Ngai, Director at Community Hub Ipswich CIC, who is also part of the strategy team, said: “In Ipswich, the culture sector and the creative industries are growing. More music, more film and television, and more art than ever are being produced here by our incredible creative community, many of whom are freelance.

When we shift our mindset from competition to collaboration, we unlock new opportunities for the whole town. By sharing ideas, supporting one another and building together, we can create a creative ecosystem where everyone has the chance to thrive.” 

To help shape what comes next for Ipswich, residents are encouraged to complete the Creativity Survey.

For more information about the consultation, please contact:

Kath Cockshaw
Culture and Heritage Strategy Team
Email: kath@locusms.com