Made Here,
Built to Last
A Creative Prospectus for Greater Essex
Made Here, Built to Last is Greater Essex's first sector-led cultural prospectus, shaped entirely by the people who know this county best.
Over six weeks in spring 2026, more than 400 people took part in our Counting Culture campaign: from creative freelancers and independent artists to CEOs of some of our largest cultural organisations. We asked them one question: what would help the creative sector have even greater impact — and why?
Their responses are gathered here across seven strategic pillars, each containing propositions from the sector setting out where attention and investment will make the most difference. Together they represent a clear, honest and ambitious account of what becomes possible when culture is treated not as a nice to have, but as infrastructure.
This prospectus is not a strategy or action plan — that work comes next. It is an invitation to genuine partnership between the sector and every tier of local government across Greater Essex, and a demonstration that the sector is ready to build something with decision-makers that neither can achieve alone.
READ THE PROSPECTUS ↓
Seven Strategic Pillars
Greater Essex's creative and cultural sector is ready to lead. The propositions gathered here represent the collective voice of over 400 practitioners, organisations and freelancers — setting out where investment and partnership will make the most difference to communities across the county.
Together they make the case for culture not as a nice to have, but as infrastructure: essential to health, to place, to economic growth, and to the kind of Greater Essex that everyone who lives and works here deserves.
The propositions in this prospectus have been grouped under seven strategic pillars, each reflecting a cluster of closely related themes that emerged consistently and with force across submissions to the Counting Culture campaign:
"Made Here, Built to Last represents the collective ambition of Greater Essex's creative sector — a clear, evidence-driven call for culture to be treated as infrastructure. We are proud to support Counting Culture and look forward to working with decision-makers across the region to make these propositions a reality."Hazel Edwards, South East Area Director, Arts Council England
Counting Culture is supported by
