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Greater London Authority – Culture and Devolution

Culture Devolution:

Through the GLA Act 1999 and the GLA Act 2007 the Cultural Strategy Group for London will formulate and submit to the Mayor a draft strategy with proposed policies on culture, media and sport in Greater London, from which the Mayor shall prepare and publish the Culture Strategy. The policies contained in the Culture Strategy include policies with respect to

  • (a) the arts, tourism and sport;
  • (b) ancient monuments and sites;
  • (c) buildings and other structures which are of historical or architectural interest or which otherwise form part of the heritage of Greater London;
  • (d) museums and galleries;
  • (e) library services;
  • (f) archives;
  • (g) treasure, and antiquities of a movable nature;
  • (h) broadcasting, film production and other media of communication.

The Acts also outline the assistance by the Mayor for museums, galleries in London, the Mayor’s duty to exercise certain powers of appointment, the duty of the Authority to promote tourism, and the Authority’s duty to provide advice on tourism.

Autumn 2024 Budget:

The Autumn budget 2024 outlines that the government is working closely with local leaders on the upcoming English Devolution White Paper, which will set out plans to widen devolution to more areas and deepen the powers of existing mayors and their combined authorities, ensuring they have the tools needed to boost economic growth. The Government will explore how an integrated settlement could apply to the Greater London Authority from 2026-27. The government is extending 67% business rates retention arrangements for the Greater London Authority for 2025-26.

Culture Strategy:

Culture for all Londoners (2018) strategy for culture outlines the aim to provide Londoners with access to culture on their doorsteps. Culture and the creative industries contribute £52bn to London’s economy every year and account for one in six jobs in the capital.

The Strategy has four priorities:

  • Love London – more people experiencing and creating culture on their doorstep
  • Culture and Good Growth – supporting, saving and sustaining cultural places
  • Creative Londoners – investing in a diverse creative workforce for the future
  • World City – a global creative powerhouse today and in the future

Current Culture Projects:

  • Launched in 2017, the Mayor’s London Borough of Culture puts culture at the heart of local communities, illuminating the character and diversity of London’s boroughs and showing culture is for everyone. Croydon is London Borough of Culture 2023, Wandsworth and Haringey are the next two London Boroughs of Culture, taking the programme to 2027. Each borough will receive £1.35m to deliver a year of creative and cultural activities.
  • The Fourth Plinth commissions are chosen through public consultation and decision making by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, an independent panel of artists, journalists and curators.
  • East Bank cultural quarter at the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is a £1.1 billion vision to shape the cultural life of the city for the 21st century and beyond. Opening from autumn 2023, East Bank is a unique collaboration between cultural institutions, world leading universities and the people of the Olympic boroughs.
  • Creative Enterprise Zones are a Mayoral initiative to designate areas of London where artists and creative businesses can find permanent affordable space to work; are supported to start-up and grow; and where local people are helped to learn creative sector skills and access pathways to employment. There are 12 Creative Enterprise Zones in Brent, Croydon, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, Waltham Forest, and Westminster, with a single zone across both Hackney and Tower Hamlets.
  • The London Made Me retail development programme, started in 2022, is part of the Creative Enterprise Zone programme. It is designed to give creatives the skills, knowledge, and practical experience needed to take their creative business to the next level in the retail space. In 2023, participants received over 1,600 hours of business support and development. 

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