Output 1: Engage Youth & Build Skills

Education and Skills

1. How well does the current education and skills system in the West Midlands support progression into cultural and creative careers across the region?
   Please reflect on differences between places (e.g. city centres, towns, and rural areas), and on pathways through schools, further education, higher education, apprenticeships, and community-based provision.

2. What has been the impact of reduced access to arts and cultural education in the West Midlands on the regional workforce and skills pipeline?
   We welcome evidence on course closures, reduced take-up of creative subjects, and the implications for workforce diversity, talent retention, and the wider regional economy.

3. What actions could national, mayoral, combined authority, or local government take to strengthen creative education and skills development in the West Midlands?
   Please identify specific policies, funding mechanisms, or partnerships that would have the greatest impact in this region.

Output 2: Broaden Access and Participation

Social Value, Access, and Equity

1. How equitable is access to cultural activity across the West Midlands, and where are the most significant gaps in provision or participation?
   Please consider place-based inequalities (including between local authority areas), transport, affordability, digital access, and the availability of local cultural infrastructure.

2. How does cultural activity contribute to wellbeing, pride of place, and community cohesion in West Midlands communities?
   We are particularly interested in examples linked to neighbourhood renewal, high streets, health and social care, and post-pandemic recovery.

3. What place-based approaches have been most effective in expanding inclusive cultural participation in the West Midlands?
   Please share examples of locally rooted, community-led, or cross-sector initiatives that could be scaled across the region.

Output 3: Unlock and Direct Investment

Financial Innovations

1. How sustainable is the current funding and investment landscape for culture in the West Midlands?
   Please comment on differences between sub-regions, the balance of national and local funding, and the impact of financial pressures on organisational resilience and cultural provision.

2. Which funding, planning, or fiscal mechanisms could most effectively increase and better target investment in culture across the West Midlands?
   This may include regional or local use of S106 and CIL, tourism-related levies, business and philanthropic giving, or new regional investment models.

A section 106 agreement is a legal agreement between a developer and a local planning authority containing measures that the developer must take to reduce their impact on the community.

CIL stands for Community Infrastructure Levy, a planning charge local authorities use to fund local infrastructure like schools and roads from new developments, based on size and type.

3. How can investment in culture be better aligned with the West Midlands’ wider priorities for regeneration, skills, public health, and inclusive growth?
Please provide examples of where cultural investment has successfully supported these agendas in the region, or where stronger alignment is needed.