CultureStep
Investing in Creative Collaborations
Funded by Hodge Foundation and Moondance Foundation, CultureStep is designed to encourage new sponsorship and develop established business engagement with the arts.
Through CultureStep, A&B Cymru invests cash in innovative partnerships of all kinds between the two sectors, enhancing projects and increasing their long-term effectiveness.
Image: NoFit State Circus – Mark Robson Photographer
Partnering the arts can enable businesses to meet core objectives in creative and far-reaching ways and CultureStep aims to maximise the impact for all involved.
It is designed to help companies communicate directly with their target markets, engage effectively with the communities in which they operate and access focussed, tangible staff development opportunities.
The scheme provides businesses with a direct incentive to partner the arts. Specifically, to:
- demonstrate Return on Investment, maximising profile and enabling an increased level of activity.
- reduce the “risk” of embarking on new partnerships with the reassurance of A&B Cymru’s approval.
- ensure partnerships are monitored and evaluated to measure success against set objectives.
CultureStep investment must be used to strengthen and develop the relationship between the business and arts partners, through arts activity.
All projects must also benefit individuals living in Wales and address at least one of the following priorities:
- Arts & Diversity: working with the arts to promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion, engaging those who face barriers on the grounds of ethnicity, gender, physical abilities, race, religious or political beliefs and sexual orientation.
- Arts & Employees: encouraging partnerships that integrate the arts into employee development and motivation, while stimulating a more creative working environment.
- Arts & the Environment: encouraging partnerships that address the climate emergency, demonstrating a commitment to environmental best practice while having a positive impact on people and communities.
- Arts & Health & Well-being: working with the arts to aid mental, emotional and / or physical well-being.
- Arts & Kids: engaging socially disadvantaged and underrepresented young people with the arts, making a tangible difference to their lives.
- Arts & Older People: engaging vulnerable, disadvantaged and isolated older people with the arts, making a positive difference to their lives.
- Arts & Tackling Poverty: partnering the arts to improve the lives of people who do not have sufficient resources to provide an acceptable living standard which allows them to participate fully in society.
- Arts & the Welsh Language: encouraging partnerships which celebrate and promote the language, maximising opportunities for people and communities to experience the arts through the Welsh language.
Arts partners may apply for up to £1 from CultureStep for every £2 invested by the business partner.
If you have a potential project you would like to discuss, please contact A&B Cymru by filling in the contact form and someone will be in touch.
CultureStep decisions are taken by a panel chaired by A&B Cymru’s Chief Executive. Members have a diverse range of skills and expertise and a thorough understanding of relevant issues. They also have an in-depth knowledge of A&B Cymru and a commitment to its work and strategy.
The panel consists of 8 voting members. The group meets quarterly and operates on the principle of collective responsibility. All members have an equal voice. The panel are:
- Rachel Jones, Chief Executive, A&B Cymru (Chair)
- Kathy Brown, Former Assistant Vice President, Community Investment, Barclays plc
- Robert Lloyd Griffiths, Business Consultant
- Denise Lord, Freelance Fundraiser
- Samantha Maskrey, Chair, Darkley Trust
- Lynne Sheehy, Former CSR Manager, Legal & General
- Richard Tynen, Director, The Funding Centre
Deadline: Thursday 6 March 2025
Meeting date: Thursday 20 March 2025
Deadline: Thursday 8 May 2025
Meeting date: Thursday 22 May 2025
Deadline: Wednesday 2 July 2025
Meeting date: Wednesday 16 July 2025
Deadline: Thursday 2 October 2025
Meeting date: Thursday 16 October 2025
Deadline: Thursday 27 November 2025
Meeting date: Thursday 11 December 2025
Deadline: Thursday 5 March 2026
Meeting date: Thursday 19 March 2026
CultureStep News July 2024
This July, the CultureStep Panel met to deliberate the applications received for the second meeting of 2024/25.
Six investments were confirmed, all of which will help to strengthen and sustain innovative partnerships between business and the arts. They are:
- North Wales International Music Festival (NWIMF) & Pendine Park Care Organisation. In a partnership established in 2011, Pendine Park is again the headline sponsor for the 2024 North Wales International Music Festival. This year, the business has increased its financial support to enable The Pendine Young Musician of Wales Competition, NWIMF’s first musical competition for young Welsh performers. CultureStep is increasing the reach of the partnership by contributing to interactive Community Tour performances, including dementia-friendly and inclusive BSL-interpreted concerts, an arts project for young people and a music and arts project for children and older people living with a disability.
- Benjamin C Dearnley & Cartrefi Conwy. Through an A&B Cymru Brokerage, Cartrefi Conwy has commissioned artist Benjamin Dearnley to create a series of public artworks on its Abergele Western Gateway Development, engaging the communities adjacent to the site in stone carving workshops. During the sessions, Ben will collect participants’ ideas for the words of local poets to be carved into a series of sculptures, depicting local history and inspiring anyone using the space. CultureStep is strengthening and extending the partnership by funding the poet’s fee, as well as contributing to the artist’s fee and the cost of purchasing the stone for the final artwork.
- Cwmni Frân Wen & Dŵr Cymru. In a new partnership, Dŵr Cymru is supporting Cwmni Frân Wen to deliver its creative Welsh language Olion project, reaching up to 1,000 people from under-represented communities in Hirael, Bangor and beyond. Participants will include carers, individuals with mental health problems, asylum seekers and young people not in education, training or work. CultureStep is expanding the partnership by funding freelance artists to deliver eight engagement sessions to collaborate with community members to develop family activities for Frân Wen’s arts festival.
- The Other Room (TOR) & Draycott Group. In a new partnership, Draycott Group is supporting The Other Room through the in-kind provision of a three-month tenancy of Harlech Court. This allows TOR to revive its production of Baba Joon, a portrayal of one man’s experiences of arriving in Wales from Iran in the 1970s and his daughter’s navigation through the joys and complexities of being from a mixed heritage family living in South Wales. CultureStep is supporting the partnership by funding the artists’ fees.
- National Dance Company Wales (NDCWales) & Goodson Thomas. In its first year of partnership, Goodson Thomas has been named NDCWales’ business champion, through its support of its Young Associates Programme. CultureStep is funding a Young Associates activity programme across Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and RCT, engaging 80 young dancers in taster sessions and encouraging applications for the Young Associates Programme.
- Hijinx & Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Cymru. In a new partnership, ADSS Cymru has commissioned Hijinx to enhance its National Social Care Conference in October 2024. The theatre company will demonstrate how creative arts can enrich the lives of people with learning disabilities to over 100 social care leaders from across Wales. CultureStep is strengthening the partnership by funding an event host and two Hijinx actors to introduce a panel discussion and share their lived experiences, as well as contributing to the costs of two performances – one by the Astronauts’ and one by the interactive band, Vaguely Artistic.
So far this financial year, CultureStep has invested almost £39K in 14 partnerships, levering almost £155K from business directly to the arts.
Arts partners may apply for up to £1 from CultureStep for every £2 invested by the business partner. Find out more CultureStep – Arts & Business Cymru (aandb.cymru)
The next deadline is 26 September 2024. If you are interested in making an application, please get in touch at contactus@aandbcymru.org.uk
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