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About the Programme

About the Coventry Culture Shift Programme

The programme aims to re-think urban environments and how they serve contemporary expectations for work, leisure and use of public space.

This includes the development of strategies to diminish cultural inequalities and ensuring the city's population is equipped for the future world of work.


Topics addressed by the programme
  • Urban futures, including the role of city centres and new models for urban living.

  • Integrated models for cultural engagement that contribute to reducing social inequality.

  • Distributed models for cultural leadership to capitalise on the potential that comes from the diverse city population and its different perspectives.

  • The critical massing of talent and assets to resource a new economy.

  • The contribution of cultural practices, creative thinking, and cultural policy to a stronger, sustainable, and more equal city.


Programme timelines

The transformative programme, which brings together experts from several of the University’s Global Research Priorities (GRPs) and the Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies, will commence in July 2021 and run for eight months.

It will be further informed by the cultural strategy and legacy plan for Coventry City of Culture 2021, which will be available in draft form in autumn 2021 for wider consultation, before adoption early in 2022.


Delivering lasting change

The programme's activities will make a long-term contribution to the University’s strategy of regional engagement, provide a legacy to the research work aligned to our City of Culture year, and strengthen the University’s KEF performance.