In early 2023 Social Life researchers spent time in Hoxton, speaking to residents, community organisations, traders and arts and cultural organisations that had been involved in the Shoreditch & Hoxton Arts Fund.
The summary of what we found is here.
The Shoreditch and Hoxton Art Fund was set up in 2018, pooling funds from Section 106 contributions from two developments in south Shoreditch. The Fund commissioned arts organisations to work with local residents and create art for the wider community.
The Fund aimed to tackle the disconnect between Shoreditch, Hackney’s most active economic centre, and Hoxton, a diverse area with pockets of severe deprivation. It aimed to use public art to improve social cohesion, make arts and culture accessible for all and create new opportunities for the residents of Hoxton. It strived to build a greater sense of community representation in local culture in an area that does not typically feel the benefit from development in the south of the borough.
The impact of the Fund will live on long after the completion of the grant funded work through the new connections, networks, learnings and career paths that have been seeded.
Supporting community arts through planning development levies: a good practice toolkit describes how to set up a community arts fund using developer contributions. It is aimed at local authority officers – particularly in planning, regeneration, arts & culture and economic development roles – who want to leverage resources from development to support local people andarts organisations. It draws on the experience of the Shoreditch & Hoxton Art Fund and this evaluation.
