Cultural services

Enfield’s cultural strategy was adopted in November 2020. The strategy celebrates the distinct cultural strengths of Enfield and outlines our plans to grow the borough’s wellbeing, economy and opportunities through culture. You can read our Culture Connects Strategy 2020–25 (PDF), and view the Culture Connects poster (PDF).

Enfield’s Culture team lead on the Council’s Culture Strategy to provide opportunities for young people, make culture sustainable and provide culture for everyone, every day. These priorities drive all of our work.

Projects and programmes

Our portfolio includes projects and programmes that take our strategy forward:

• On the Ground - working to develop cultural activity out and about across the borough, in our parks and town centres, in a variety of venues, and embedded in every new development
• Right Mix - championing a diverse mix of essential cultural infrastructure, encouraging new cultural and creative organisations to develop in Enfield
• Supporting Growth - connecting Enfield to the strong and growing creative economy, ensuring our young people have access to cultural experience and knowledge of creative careers
• Celebration - celebrating our rich heritage and connecting our communities through shared festivals and events
• Cultural capacity - growing our capacity as a borough to enjoy more, make more, do more and see more, finding more supporters for culture and growing our skills and expertise

Our work is delivered collaboratively with partners inside and outside the council, from health to housing, heritage, libraries, community groups, education and training organisations and creative artists of all kinds.

Venues

At the heart of our team are our flagship venues, Millfield House and Theatre, Forty Hall, and the Dugdale Centre and museum.

Run directly by the council, these provide outstanding cultural and creative experiences, including exhibitions, theatre shows, music, workshops, poetry, dance and visual arts – and fantastic locally sourced, sustainable food too!

Each venue works closely with local residents to create programmes and opportunities that reflect local community interests. Every team member works to ensure a fantastic experience for all our visitors, whether in front of house, venue management, catering, technical or programming. And we pride ourselves on our flexible and collaborative approach.

When need arises, the team have also turned their hands to supporting Enfield by running food banks and community testing centres, and we are always happy to find new ways to serve our community.

Recent projects include:

• Enjoy Enfield Summer - the UK’s first outdoor arts festival after lockdown, with 17 days of free, socially distanced arts and entertainment across the borough
• Stories of Enfield - a two-year National Lottery Heritage Funded project to support community organisations develop heritage projects
• Reggae on the Lawn - a magical mix of music and green space at Forty Hall
• Five Art Crossings - colourful crossing designs for each of Enfield’s five town centres designed by local artists, to bring joy and hope during the COVID-19 crisis
• Puss in Boots – the professionally produced regular Millfield Pantomime is a highlight of local calendars, this year adapted to lockdown conditions to make it one of the very few live pantomime experiences in the UK, delighting many hundreds of local schoolchildren and families while conditions allowed. You can watch clips on our social channels.

We are proud to work with the huge range of creative talent, organisations and venues across the borough. We run a regular e-newsletter for those working in culture, heritage and the creative sector with updates on Enfield achievements and opportunities. To join, email culture@enfield.gov.uk with ‘JOIN CHCI’ as your email subject.