Cara Pickering joins Culture Central

Cara PIckering - credit @Ferro_media

Cara Pickering has been appointed Programmes Developer & Delivery Lead at Culture Central.

In this role, Cara provides the critical bridge between organisational strategy and programme delivery, ensuring that projects, programmes, and organisational priorities are effectively planned, coordinated, monitored, and delivered working across all areas of the Culture Central programmes. The role supports Erica Love (Chief Executive Officer) and Dr Anthony Ruck (Chief Strategy Officer) by developing strategic priorities into programme design and delivery, ensuring delivery remains on track, on time, and aligned with agreed outcomes

Cara is a place, partnerships and programme specialist with over a decade of experience across arts, culture, heritage, community development and local government. 

Her work brings together research, community insight, policy and creativity to understand what matters in a place and help turn ideas into meaningful action. She has worked across sectors with local authorities, national funders, cultural organisations, universities and community partners on strategy, engagement, research, evaluation and programme development. 

From 2023 to 2026, Cara was Head of Creative Places at The Audience Agency, leading place-based work across the UK. Her clients and partners included Staffordshire County Council, East Staffordshire Borough Council, Leicester City Council, the Greater London Authority, Salford City Council and the Creative Industries Council. 

Her work has included co-creating cultural and community strategies, leading consultation and place-based research, delivering a Heritage Places programme, and working with boards and partnerships to shape local priorities and delivery. 

Cara’s early work was as a multidisciplinary creative producer, developing projects across art, music, fashion, heritage, architecture and youth voice. During Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture, she worked as Visual Arts Programme Producer. That creative, people-centred approach continues to shape how she works today. 

She has also held governance and advisory roles, including as a Trustee of Coventry Biennial of Contemporary Art and as a Leadership Associate with Culture Central. 

Cara is particularly interested in the connections between people, policy and place, and how strong relationships, evidence, cross-sector partnerships and creative thinking can open new possibilities for insight, investment and action.