cultural solutions uk: intelligence for the creative & cultural sectors

an independent arts &
cultural consultancy

We offer a range of research, planning and events management services to
arts, 3rd sector, cultural & economic development organisations, including local
authorities, arts and cultural organisations and other public & private agencies.

what
we do

Whether through research, strategic thinking and planning,
evaluation or direct delivery,
our work has helped our clients
to make real and valuable changes.

We work within a framework of 4 main themes

  • Communities
  • Business
  • Learning
  • Living Places

Golden Fables
2012

Golden Fables 2012 is an Igniting Ambition legacy commission that will forge a unique collaboration between world-acclaimed artists to create a poetic drama. It will premiere at SO Festival, Skegness on 1 July and Latitude Festival, Suffolk on 14 July 2012. The SO Festival performance will be recorded and shown the following seven days at community centres & arts venues across Lincolnshire. A final documentary will be produced and exhibited at the Olympic Park and other Olympic sites, and be available online.

  • Gillian Clarke
  • Ian McMillan
  • Liz Lochhead
  • Joel Stickley
  • Gabriel Prokofiev
  • Tim Dalling
  • Desmond & Leah Tutu Peace Choir
  • Kate Brown
  • Colin Macfarlane

david
lambert

...innovator

...facilitator

...thinker

...leader

...doer

...creative

...listener

...passionate

...objective

...advisor

...trusting

...fair

...confident speaker

...dedicated

...focused

...sense of humour

...vision

...writer

...confident

...honest

...adaptable

...patient

...reliable

Created by David Lambert in response to a demand by the region's artistic and cultural
sectors for bespoke advice and support,
cultural solutions uk is becoming the consultancy
of choice
for agencies and organisations seeking an objective, bespoke service.

our
associates

Sara Bullimore

Sara was the Artistic Director of the Lincoln Book Festival for seven years and her main interests and skills lie within the dance, theatre and literature sectors.

Since 2009 Sara has been working as a freelance consultant, undertaking many different projects in fundraising, event management, teaching and business management across all areas of the arts, including literature festivals and the Cultural Olympiad programme for Lincolnshire.

Heather Maitland

Heather specialises in business planning, marketing and audience development in the cultural sector.

She has delivered training programmes, keynotes and seminars throughout the UK and worldwide, most recently for the British Council in Colombia and Syria. She is an Associate Fellow of the Centre for Cultural Policy Studies at the University of Warwick.

Sue North

Sue North is a former associate editor of an award-winning regional daily paper, so has a thorough understanding of what the media wants and needs and knows exactly how to deliver it to them.

Her skills include writing, editing, design and proofreading and she also delivers media training. She particularly enjoys working in the arts and cultural sectors, where she has achieved extensive national and local coverage in print, broadcast and online for the festivals and events she works with.

Leanne Taylor

Leanne has worked in the creative and cultural industries for over 12 years planning events and festivals and developing participatory programmes with a range of communities.

She has a wide experience of Local Authority cultural development, including developing new creative programmes to address social inclusion, cultural tourism and crime and disorder.

Tim Harris

Head of Arts at Nottinghamshire
County Council
for over a decade.

Tim works with independent arts organisations, local authorities, artist networks and the third sector. He has experience in arts and health, evaluation, project management, strategic planning and organisational development for the independent arts sector, commissioning and festivals.

Emma Tatlow

Working in destination management and marketing is Emma's passion...

Starting her working life with Holidaybreak, Emma then moved into marketing and has since spent a number of years working in UK destinations creating and delivering marketing strategies across public/private sector partnerships.

Emma is an advocate for the visitor economy concept bringing together all aspects of a place - culture and festivals, retail, nightlife, food and drink, accommodation, attractions to tell a compelling story to people who may live, visit, work or invest in a destination...

Nicki Jarvis

Nicki combines a practical arts background with 15 years of arts and cultural development as a museums and gallery curator and arts development officer.

She has a particular flair for writing funding applications alongside that of project development. Nicki particularly enjoys working with voluntary organisations and individuals, offering balanced support to assist projects from 'a twinkle in the eye' stage, to successful fruition.

Adroit Economics

Jamie Fotheringham from Adroit offers specialist consultancy advice in economic development and regeneration, with particular expertise in the creative industries and local/regional development.

Clients include local and central government, regeneration partnerships and other public sector bodies, as well as the private sector.

Ran-Design

A graphic design studio based in the historic City of Lincoln, offering a bespoke graphic design service.

Dave and the team specialize in all types of printed media and provide a range of work for cultural solutions uk.

what
people say

We have taken part in the East Lindsey Wolds Words Festival for many years. Last year, cultural solutions uk took over the organisation, marketing and promotion of the festival, and immediately raised the bar, with, for instance, a programme which had the look and feel of a trendy, happening event. In short, they brought a touch of va-va-voom to the festival.
—Alan Mumby, Chairman, Far Welter'd (East Lindsey Dialect Society)

We have enjoyed working with cultural solutions uk and think they make a real difference to the community. They make things happen by giving young individuals a chance to achieve new skills, qualifications and an enjoyable experience.
—Adele Dewell, Director, Streetz Ahead Theatre Arts Lincoln

On a personal note - My 5 year old son attended one of the "Wolds Words" events delivered by cultural solutions uk (the Gruffallo) and thought it was "brilliant". It was well organised and professional with interaction at the right level for children (not patronising!) he thoroughly enjoyed the event and would attend future activities organised by cultural solutions uk.
—Nicola Radford, Principal Development Officer, Economy and Culture,
Lincolnshire County Council, (Coastal Communities Alliance)

We have been working with cultural solutions uk since 2008 when we retained them as our cultural advisers. Since then they have successfully secured funding for the past three annual beam! festivals before going on to devise and deliver the festivals. They also researched and implemented a sustainable annual Artists Market programme, now in its fifth year. What we like about them is they understand the needs of our 800 members' and how the arts can assist in realising their predominately economic aspirations.
—Michael Armstrong, Events and Promotions Manager Lincoln Business Improvement Group

The team are a highly professional and enthusiastic team to work with. Feedback from cultural groups who they worked with on the Coastal Cultural Strategy, was that cultural solutions uk were approachable, professional and connected with what was "needed" for culture to develop and be sustainable on the coast.
—Nicola Radford, Principal Development Officer, Economy and Culture, Lincolnshire County Council, (Coastal Communities Alliance)

A company full of energy, knowledge, commitment and vision. They have a unique overview of the cultural landscape in Lincolnshire and a fantastic capacity for strategic thinking and dynamic delivery.
—Simon Hollingworth, Director, Lincoln Drill Hall

We'll wait before we go travelling until Darren finishes the learning in June. He'd never had done any of this without you.
—Dawn (Darren's mother, Gypsy family)

The arts are capable of unlocking the potential of so-called marginalized young people who, for various reasons, have lost out, cultural solutions uk enabled this to happen!
—Paul Boucher, Gainsborough Traveller Initiative

Our
successes
+

take a look at what we have done
& how we have done it

From devising a bespoke programme of learning as part of the nationally-accredited Arts Award for young Gypsies and Travellers; a multimedia programme for children in public care; a £900,000 EU/local authority funded growth programme for the cultural & creative sectors and the devising, managing and delivery of a major cultural festival

Case Studies

  1. Gainsborough Traveller Initiative (GTI)More
  2. our world? Multi-Media Project 2008More
  3. Lincolnshire Creative Solutions InitiativeMore
  4. Lincoln Book Festival 2010More

What we have done

  • CURATED AND MANAGED WOLDS WORDS FESTIVAL
    OF READING, WRITING AND PERFORMANCE 2010

    East Lindsey District Council / Arts Council England
    visit www. →
  • LINCOLN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT GROUP

    Cultural Advisors 2007 – PRESENT DAY
    view www. →
  • IGNITING AMBITION – CULTURAL OLYMPIAD
    LINCOLNSHIRE SHOWCASE 2011

    Management of the 18 month (May 2010 – November 2011) Igniting Ambition / Lincolnshire County Council / Legacy Trust / ERDF
    view brochure →
  • CURATED AND MANAGED BEAM!
    2009 & 2010

    Lincoln Children’s Festival
    view brochure →
  • DEVISED FUNDING STRATEGY FOR
    HOMESTART EAST LINDSEY 2009 / 2010

    Secured £500,000 BIG Lottery funding
  • CURATED AND MANAGED LINCOLN BOOK FESTIVAL 2010

    Lincolnshire Tourism / Arts Council /
    Lincolnshire County Council
  • CURATED AND MANAGED LINCOLNSHIRE SCHOOLS ARTS
    CELEBRATION 5/6 JULY 2008 (LINCOLN CASTLE)

    Lincolnshire County Council / Arts Council England / ERDF
  • CENTRE FOR BRITISH TEACHING (CFBT)
    OCT 2007 – JUL 2008

    Cultural Advisors - Lincoln Business
    Improvement Group - 2007
  • CURATED AND MANAGED SHOUT!

    Celebration of Achievement Awards for CiPC and Carers Lincolnshire County Council Children in Public Care Service 2008 / 2009
  • OUR WORLD?
    2008 – 2009

    Lincolnshire County Council multimedia project for Children in Public Care
    view publicity →
  • RESEARCH AND ESTABLISHMENT OF
    LINCOLN ARTISTS MARKET PROGRAMME 2008

    Lincoln Business Improvement Group
  • COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND MARKETING PROGRAMME
    2008 – 2009

    Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (LPAC)
    visit www. →
  • LINCOLNSHIRE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS INITIATIVE (LCSI)
    2005 – 2008

    Creative and cultural industries growth programme Lincolnshire County Council / Arts Council England / ERDF
    view report →
  • LINCOLNSHIRE COAST CULTURAL REGENERATION PLAN
    2010 – 2015

    Lincolnshire County Council / Arts Council England 2008/09
  • SOUNDLINCS 10 YEAR IMPACT STUDY
    2009


    view study →

latest news
& projects

latest tweets

Latest Projects

  • 'inspire lincolnshire'
    Cultural Olympiad REM SOUTH HOLLAND 2012

    view brochure →
  • Lincoln Hay Day 2011

    A partnership with the Telegraph Hay Festival
    view brochure →
  • beam! International 2011

    Lincoln Children and Young
    People's Festival view brochure →
  • Igniting Ambition
    Cultural Olympiad Lincolnshire Showcase 2011

    view brochure →
  • Lyric Lounge Alford 22.10 2011

    Spoken Word Festival view brochure →
  • Lincolnshire
    Poet Laureate 2011 - 2012

    Joel Stickley.Please contact us if you would like Joel to attend your event. view Website →
  • Wolds Words Festival 19-23.10.2011

    Festival of Reading, Writing & Performance view brochure →

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