 How are you doing, Lancashire? There’s a lot happening in our County right now - and it’s going to affect the arts in ways both challenging and exciting. If your art is part of, or all of, your income, this is something you’ll want to pay attention to. Devolution is in progress, but culture isn’t yet one of the the three pillars that the new Lancashire Combined County Authority is built on. Could a directly elected Mayor change that - supporting local artists, boosting creative spaces, and putting culture at the heart of our region’s future? We’d love to know what you think – share your thoughts with us on this in the comments. Local Government Re-organisation is looming. The Lancashire we have known since 1974 - following the changes introduced by the Local Government Act 1972, and save for the 1998 shift that made Blackburn and Blackpool unitary authorities alongside Lancashire County Council - is set to change again. But what will that look like?
By summer 2026, we’ll know the outcome. But whatever shape the Lancashire map takes, Arts Lancashire will continue to connect, champion and convene artists and cultural organisations across the county - ensuring collaboration remains stronger than any boundary line. Politics may be pulling people apart right now. Art brings people together. At a national level, the Arts Council England Review by Baroness Margaret Hodge, published in December 2025, presents both opportunities and challenges for regions like the Lancashire arts sector. Whilst ACE itself has not yet published a formal, detailed implementation plan or timetable for acting on specific Hodge recommendations, we think it’s likely this will tie in with their next funding cycle post 2027. However, early indications from ACE suggest an intention to streamline application and reporting processes, strengthen support for freelancers and independent creative practitioners, and place renewed emphasis on ‘excellence’ in assessment criteria. We’re excited about Lisa Nandy’s announcement about creative subjects returning to the curriculum. We’re talking about this and the future of Lancashire’s cultural education offer at the Lancashire Arts Exchange on Friday 13 March – tickets available now. Are you coming? Meanwhile, we’re keeping an eye on the UK Town of Culture competition applicants. In Lancashire, Blackpool, Burnley and Chorley have formally confirmed they’re throwing their hats in the ring, but will they be the only ones? More on this to come. Closer to home, Arts Lancashire has landed on Substack - one of a series of steps that we’re taking to better support, champion and connect Lancashire’s arts and culture sector amid the changes ahead. What else is on the cards? Well, a new Chair for one. We’re restructuring to create more capacity, strengthen our governance, and deliver even more meaningful support to the organisations, artists and creative communities we champion. If you believe you could add real value to our work at this exciting stage, we’d love to hear from you. Register your interest here and we’ll be in touch with the details in due course. A new website is in the offing too, and later this year we’ll be looking for freelance writers, illustrators and photographers to add to the picture we’re painting about arts and culture in Lancashire both on the new site, and here on Substack. Make sure you’ve clicked subscribe here or on LinkedIn to be the first to hear the call out. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that we face this new chapter in the Chinese Year of the Horse - a time for energy, forward motion, and bold leaps. The horse doesn’t wait for perfect conditions - it charges ahead, navigating twists, turns, and obstacles with courage and grace. That’s the spirit we need in Lancashire’s arts and culture sector: moving together, taking opportunities, and shaping a future that’s bigger than any single map or boundary. On we go! Comments are closed.
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