Setting the scene
We are home to world class theatre venues such as The Lyric and The Bush Theatre; vibrant community arts organisations such as HQI, Sands End Arts and Community Arts Centre, the Bhavan, the Irish Cultural Centre, POSK and many others; historic sites, such as Fulham Palace; world class educational institutions including Imperial College and the LAMDA and the RCA.
The borough also boasts a rich musical history, from the roots of UK reggae to being home to iconic live music venues.
The new Civic Campus will play a pivotal role in the cultural transformation of the borough, serving as a state-of-the-art community hub that fosters creativity, collaboration, and innovation.
As a crucial cultural anchor, the Civic Campus will provide fresh opportunities for residents, artists, and businesses to come together, exchange ideas and participate in a wide range of artistic and cultural experiences.
Alongside cultural communities, creative people and businesses, we are the location for significant players in the British media landscape and major education providers, so critical to the success of our dynamic economy.
With the emergence of major new developments like Olympia, the Civic Campus, Earls Court and White City, Hammersmith & Fulham is destined to grow as a vibrant hub for creative individuals and businesses – an attractive destination built on local talent.
The borough's significant role in the national creative economy is a key pillar of the council's Industrial Strategy, and by harnessing their energy and innovation we can ensure that we are positioned not only as a great place to live and work, but as a world class destination with a fine riverside position and impressive public parks, to attract students, tourism and inward investment.
In a crowded marketplace, it will be critical that Hammersmith & Fulham defines, distinguishes and promotes all it has to offer.
To compete, we need to present our place as open for business, with a welcoming and internationalist perspective. Working closely with our local anchor institutions, hospitality sector and businesses will help our message to cut through.
Our opportunities
- Promote Hammersmith & Fulham as a place that everyone who lives and works here can be proud of, with a high-quality public realm and a sense of tangible excitement about what’s on offer for them and their family and friends
- Capitalise on our rich asset base – our attractive riverside setting, beautiful heritage parks and architectural gems, independent retail and, of course, our thriving and diverse cultural life, to position Hammersmith & Fulham as a key destination
- A low carbon environment that is a pleasure to visit, with the natural assets of our parks and riverside, our strong public transport links and Clean Air Neighbourhoods providing a healthier setting for cultural activities
- An appetite for new partnerships between the Borough and like-minded places in Europe, generating new connections to businesses, visitors and culture that enhance our reputation as an international destination for investment, creativity and tourism
- Exploit the new Civic Campus to create an authentic character for Hammersmith’s revitalised town centre, developing a neighbourhood that is a magnet for creatives with a rolling programme of events, maker markets, performances and exhibitions
How we’ll get there
Our Civic Campus catalyses the regeneration of Hammersmith Town Centre, developing a neighbourhood that is a magnet for creatives and a force for the renewal of local democracy
Actions
- Through a place-shaping approach, ensure all aspects of the Civic Campus and its surroundings align with the aims of this strategy
- Create a significant new cultural attraction, with quality public events with broad appeal
- Establish the Civic Campus as a central resource to for cultural and creative practitioners and organisations
Major developments enhance our status as a cultural and creative location
Actions
- Work with developers to support the creation of affordable spaces for creative and cultural uses
- Drawing on our existing Supplementary Planning Document on Affordable Workspace and Section 106 agreements, where appropriate align plans for developments with the borough’s wider arts, culture and heritage landscape
- Explore the potential for redevelopment of the Linford Christie stadium to include a major entertainment arena alongside enhanced sports facilities
Our status as a key destination for businesses to locate and thrive is strengthened
Actions
- Incorporate the borough’s cultural offer as a central plank of our offer to potential inward investors across a range of key growth sectors
We have an agreed destination management approach in place, with partners, to guarantee high quality visitor experiences
Actions
- Explore establishment of a destination management partnership with partners in the borough to include the visitor attraction offer, management of visitor experience and promotion of the borough as a destination for sustainable tourism
A high-quality cultural offer and attractive public realm which can satisfy the Visiting Friends & Family (VFF) market
Actions
- Identify key sites and work with communities, partners and developers to commission and maintain high-quality interventions
- Expand use of indoor and outdoor spaces for pop-up and street events
- Develop new festivals and events where there are opportunities
- Foster good relationships between the Council and sports stakeholders – including the three leading football clubs within the borough – to ensure sport is recognised as a key part of our destination ‘offer’ for residents, visitors and businesses and a tool for creating opportunity and inspiration within our communities
- Promote active travel and public transport to events
More and better use of public spaces for events and as a showcase for arts and culture, including at our Civic Campus
Actions
- Develop a programme of public visual art, making use of our parks, public spaces and public buildings to promote the borough as a major artistic and cultural environment
- Facilitate partnerships between local arts organisations and community groups to enable more arts and cultural events across our public spaces, including through a cross-service approach to support, led by the Council’s Events Team
- Generate new approaches to how underused or vacant public spaces could be transformed into temporary pop-up art installations or performance venues
- Ensure the borough is welcoming and safe for all young people to explore our culture and heritage, in particular when designing our expanding night-time economy, recognising the need to ‘de-territorialise’ the perception of culture held by sections of London’s youth
- Make use of the borough’s green spaces as a platform to showcase our arts and culture offer
We are an active partner in international cultural dialogue
Actions
- Establish a series of partnerships with European cities that enriches our offer through exchange of artists and ideas
Young people are proud of being from Hammersmith & Fulham and feel safe enjoying all it has to offer
Actions
- Explore Purple Flag Status for the night-time economy