What We Do

Culture is a vital part of human life, and yet it’s often one of the last things to be considered when making decisions that impact people and places. We work in partnership with individuals, communities, organisations and local authorities – large and small – to use culture to improve people’s lives and the places in which they live.

We focus on four key things:

  • Our cross-sector collaborations improve the lives, health and environments of people in Dorset and beyond. We’re currently working with NHS Dorset and Dorset Council on developing cultural activity with health outcomes, and with Dorset Council’s Growth and Economic Regeneration team on using culture to redesign towns.

    Image: Chettle Wassail by Jayne Jackson.

  • The sector is stronger when we work together. We’re currently bringing together this notoriously complex sector to collectively enable more inclusion and better training opportunities. We also lead the What Next? Dorset forum and collaborate with Visit Dorset on improved marketing for culture and tourism.

  • We shine a light on all cultural activity and promote Dorset’s cultural offer as a whole. Advocacy is an essential part of understanding impact, and it brings together data, insight, and research to better understand and communicate the value of cultural activity. Read our latest ‘Culture in Dorset’ celebration here.

    Image: Ancient Technology Centre by Jayne Jackson.

  • Our creation was an experiment for a new model of enabling culture, and we continue to explore new ways of doing things. We’re currently working with Dorset Community Foundation to create a philanthropy programme for grassroots culture.

    Image: Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis.