In 2024, we worked with London Borough of Barnet to shape an ambitious bid for London Borough of Culture 2027.
Barnet is a great place to live and work, but culture hadn’t always been easy to see or access. Despite a low cultural baseline, grassroots groups had quietly kept creative life going in their communities. Our job was to help bring that energy into the spotlight.
Together, we positioned culture as a catalyst. Something that could build pride, bring people together and kick-start a long-term cultural shift.
Our Barnet Canvas: Listening First
Before writing a single line of the bid, we spent three months listening.
Through Our Barnet Canvas, we ran workshops, events and surveys with residents, artists, businesses and community groups across the borough. We asked:
• What makes Barnet special?
• What should culture actually do for people?
• What kind of future feels worth building?
More than 1,500 people took part. The result was a vision shaped by local voices, and stronger relationships between the council, communities and cultural organisations that would last well beyond the bid.
From Bid to Action
Barnet didn’t take the main Borough of Culture title, but the vision didn’t stop there.
The strength of the bid secured the Mayor of London’s Cultural Impact Award, unlocking £200k from the Greater London Authority. Further funding followed from Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, turning ideas into a year-long programme of activity.
Light + Flight: Bringing It to Life
Building on that momentum, we were commissioned as creative production partner to develop and deliver Light + Flight – a bold, inclusive celebration of creativity, connection and belonging.
Inspired by Barnet’s aviation history and multifaith communities, Light + Flight explores:
• Light as visibility, hope and revelation
• Flight as freedom, journey and transformation
It’s about uncovering hidden stories, celebrating diversity and imagining new possibilities.
Made With, Not For
Shaped by the Barnet community, the programme will:
• Shine a light on overlooked histories
• Celebrate Barnet’s many communities
• Support emerging talent
• Bring high-quality cultural experiences into neighbourhoods across the borough
Spanning 10 neighbourhoods, from Finchley to Edgware, Mill Hill to Colindale, the programme combines local co-creation with major commissions and a landmark, free, multi-day festival finale in 2026.
Activity launches in spring 2026, building through the summer with touring events, heritage projects, youth programmes and community storytelling — all leading to a borough-wide moment of celebration.
A New Cultural Direction
At its heart, Light + Flight reimagines Barnet as a place of ambition and possibility, where culture isn’t imported, but revealed; not imposed, but co-created.