CULTURAL
MANIFESTO
The following Manifesto was written by 26 Royal Greenwich residents aged 13-30, establishing their wishes as young creatives living, going to school and working in the borough.
OUR VISION
GREENWICH IS THE CREATIVE EPICENTRE OF LONDON
A borough where creativity belongs to everyone.
Where art is visible, accessible and celebrated.
Where communities flourish, stories matter, and no one is left out.
WHAT WE WANT
INCREASED INCLUSION AND REPRESENTATION OF OUR COMMUNITIES
Affordability, visibility and accessibility. Greenwich must represent all of us, with space for every voice, culture and identity. We need to bridge social, class and age gaps, celebrate community traditions, highlight minority leaders and create supportive, safer and more inclusive communities where people truly feel seen. Any regeneration must continue to benefit the people who are already here.
ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Artists deserve stability and the chance to work creatively where they live, with access to financial support, paid opportunities, bursaries, grants, child care and help with travel costs. We need strong support for local businesses and the upkeep of community and third spaces. Support that empowers artists in the borough to create events that attract people nationally and internationally.
GREATER LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES
We want greater local opportunities, from artist residencies and mentorship to youth clubs, theatre clubs and creative hubs that offer spaces to meet, create and showcase work. Better outreach, communication and visibility of opportunities based on merit, not who you know.
Opportunities that introduce new people to the arts who are not necessarily artists. With regular clubs, creative gatherings, volunteering, work experience for under-18s, opportunities for 18 plus, and events that build hype and connection.
MORE SPACES THAT BRING US TOGETHER
We want to celebrate places where people can meet, create and connect, from creative venues, third spaces and heritage sites to indoor hubs, digital spaces and pop-ups that offer room to experiment without pressure.
Greenwich must continue to promote its accessible gathering spaces to encourage the exploration of ideas and highlight our exceptional local creative hubs, such as the creative district at Woolwich Works and the Greenwich Peninsula design district.
With flexible, inclusive venues across the borough, from covered markets to immersive rooms and reimagined unused spaces, where collaboration between artists, venues and communities can flourish.
BETTER ARTS EDUCATION AND TRAINING
We need clearer education about the options available to work and participate in the arts, alongside regular community events and an arts curriculum that isn’t just for the privileged few. Skills, culture and learning should be accessible in both formal and informal spaces, with everyone able to see the opportunities on offer in ways that feel relatable.
Stronger promotion of cultural events at arts and cultural institutions in Greenwich is essential so people actually know what’s happening across the borough.
BROADER RECOGNITION AND CELEBRATION OF OUR HERITAGE
We want to see our heritage celebrated in richer, more inclusive ways. This means supporting creative cultural initiatives, empowering diverse local groups to lead events and take ownership of heritage spaces, and hosting workshops that honour traditional food and crafts. It also means championing major community festivals like the Woolwich Carnival, Lunar New Year, and Diwali.
Furthermore, heritage sites should accommodate a wider variety of cultural activities, while local museums dedicate more space to showcasing the diverse stories and histories that shape us.
ACTIONS
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Further develop clear creative career pathways, expanding upon existing mentorship networks and structured work experience frameworks.
Partner with schools, educators, and regional bodies to improve and promote the arts and media curriculum in state schools with better equipment and creative teaching time, which in turn promotes alternative and positive creative outlets and freedom of expression.
CULTURAL PROGRAMMING & HERITAGE
Scale up and strengthen the borough’s landmark annual celebrations, such as the Woolwich Carnival, Lunar New Year, and Diwali, while exploring opportunities for new, borough-wide music festivals and creative fairs.
Expand heritage programming through innovative formats, including portrait prizes, themed museum programmes, and adapting heritage sites for contemporary cultural activities.
Deliver short, accessible creative workshops… focusing on traditional crafts, food, and culture to encourage community engagement and participation from those who may not have considered creative activities before.
Deliver short creative workshops for skills-building across formal and informal spaces.
Provide structured volunteering opportunities linked to cultural events to boost local skills and engagement.
VISIBILITY, COMMUNICATION & PROMOTION
Optimise Greenwich’s digital channels to provide wider promotion of cultural events with more engaging material tailored to increase youth traction (such as dedicated Instagram accounts for daily events, updates, and educational spaces, and a dedicated TikTok channel for Gen Z, X, and millennials).
Maximise the use of the big video screen in Woolwich Square to showcase youth-made films, art, and music.
Introduce a monthly cultural bulletin listing all local workshops, exhibitions, youth opportunities, and free events
Strengthen marketing resources with dedicated expertise to ensure cultural opportunities reach all residents across the borough.
Develop a distinct Greenwich cultural mascot or visual identity for promotional campaigns and civic merchandise.
YOUTH, COMMUNITY & CREATIVE SPACES
Further activate dedicated creative youth hubs across the borough and establish regular youth meet-ups in existing community centres for creativity, play, study, and networking.
Create a unified central cultural information hub through a linked physical and digital space known to all residents.
Formally recognise and champion designated cultural areas and creative streets, building on successful London cultural models.
Enhance access to indoor spaces through discounted hire rates for community groups, and expand free after-school study spaces within existing venues like community and leisure centres.
Establish frameworks to utilise vacant business units and underused indoor spaces for temporary youth community use, pop-up exhibitions, and creative showcases.
Invest in long-term physical cultural infrastructure, focusing on modern theatre spaces, digital arts labs, and immersive media rooms.
FUNDING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Continue to expand existing borough-wide artist funding programmes, including grants, bursaries, and paid residencies, alongside micro-grants for local artists to deliver grassroots workshops and pop-up activities.
Continue to deliver targeted funding boosters and incubation support for high streets and growing creative businesses.
Explore supportive infrastructure schemes, such as travel-access initiatives and accessible childcare options, to enable young creators and digital entrepreneurs to thrive.
CONNECTIVITY & REGENERATION
Commission community-designed public art projects, prioritising high-footfall areas like the Woolwich High Road connecting tunnel.
Ensure long-term regeneration frameworks actively protect, integrate, and benefit existing communities and local cultural identity.
Promote equity in the arts through targeted funding schemes and transparent open calls to guarantee sustainable career growth for working-class local artists.
Champion the implementation of accessible public facilities and community toilet schemes to ensure all creative and public spaces are inclusive for everyone.
Pilot youth-programmed screenings and pop-up cinema initiatives utilising existing community venues and the Woolwich Square screen.