Civic and Place: framing the role of cultural development in Art and Design

The vitality of a high street, the resonance of a heritage site, or the presence of a local arts initiative can all profoundly influence how people feel about where they live and about themselves.

The Council for Higher Education in Art and Design (CHEAD) event Civic and Place:Exploring the Role of the Civic in Art and Design, held on 29 April 2025, brought together researchers, educators, practitioners and community stakeholders to examine how art and design can shape, sustain, and animate civic life. At a time when towns and cities across the UK are navigating economic, social, and cultural pressures, the role of arts and culture in our daily lives feels more urgent than ever.

Places are not simply physical environments, they are lived, relational and symbolic spaces where people negotiate identity, belonging and community.
The event focused on three interlinking themes that are central to shaping vibrant,place-based cultural ecologies: lifelong learning on the high street, creative health, and inclusivity in heritage settings. These themes highlight the transformative potential of creativity when it is rooted in place, while also underscoring the importance of collaboration between universities, local authorities, cultural organisations and creative communities. When civic engagement is genuinely co-created, cultural practice becomes more than enrichment; it becomes a place-based infrastructure for social resilience, wellbeing and equity.