Civic role of universities improves access to the arts

The UK has one of the lowest levels of government spending on culture in Europe. Between 2009 and 2023, UK state funding for the arts decreased significantly. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s core funding of cultural organisations decreased by 18% to only 0.17% of total public spending per person. 

Statements from the new Secretary of State, Lisa Nandy, have been encouraging but do not spell more money for the creative industries. 

Innovative model

Working for Turner Sims, acknowledged as one of the finest concert halls in the UK, and for the University of Southampton of which it is part, has given me a unique perspective on the civic role of universities and arts organisations. 

Turner Sims operates an innovative model, being part of the university as well as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. As such, we have been at the forefront of the university’s cultural civic work, with the two institutions intrinsically linked. 

Of course, the civic work of universities is nothing new. As funding has decreased, universities have reached out into wide areas of society including health and wellbeing, education, enterprise, the environment, volunteering and public engagement. 

Universities have a civic responsibility – beyond education and research – to actively engage the local community and future generations. 

Civic university agreement

The University of Southampton has a long and active history of enriching the creative and cultural life of communities and supporting citywide and regional development. 

This ranges from founding its cultural venues, John Hansard Gallery and Turner Sims in the 1970s, to being a leading partner in Southampton’s 2025 UK City of Culture bid and subsequent cultural development agency, Southampton Forward.

In 2023 it signed a Civic University Agreement with the region’s five local authorities, confirming its commitment to improve the quality of life for people in South Hampshire by connecting communities through culture, education and enterprise. 

The agreement responded to national plans and a key recommendation by the Civic University Commission – pledging to form closer links with local people and organisations.

The vibe collective

Over the past year at Turner Sims we’ve significantly expanded our engagement programme, putting co-design at the heart of our work to spread the joy of live music to new audiences beyond the building. We’ve created opportunities for children and young people, as leaders and performers, to produce events in the venue and out in the community. 

This has had tangible impact on both Turner Sims and the wider community, and we’ve seen how cultural engagement can create community cohesion, economic opportunity, skills, jobs and a sense of pride in place.

A big part of our work has been democratising programming. We were keen to welcome as diverse a range of audiences to the building as possible. In November 2023 we launched The Vibe Collective – an opportunity for 18-25s to join a group working with industry professionals to plan and present gigs and events, enabling them to develop creative skills. 

We recruited 14 young people for the initiative, with 50% living locally and the other half being students at the university. They were invited to explore what would make Turner Sims more appealing for their age group.

Platforming new artists

The group transformed Turner Sims’s foyer space into a Vibe Lounge – a relaxed and informal space to experience fresh new local and national talent. They programmed and hosted four free Vibe Lounge events in spring 2024, spanning genres including classical, jazz and rap. 

The Vibe Collective were ambitious about the concert hall being a place that launches the career of new local artists, and these events provided a platform for local young musicians as well as artists scouted from social media. 

As well as platforming new artists, the initiative had a tangible impact on our audience demographics. The Vibe Lounge events attracted a much younger audience demographic, with 44% of ticket holders being first time visitors. They also enabled existing audiences and staff to be adventurous in exploring new genres and artists. 

A brighter outlook

Local resident, Antonio Chikhungu, 25, was one of the participants. He saw The Vibe Collective as an opportunity to gain more experience of working on events within an organisation rather than independently – with a budget and a new group of people. 

It was his first experience of being paid for music-based work, and he says the initiative has given him “a brighter outlook of Southampton's cultural scene [and] a bit more confidence in still pursuing that avenue".

He added that "promoting the importance of arts and culture from an early age and giving space for anyone to enter arts and culture is important – it is often a thing that more privileged people have”. Antonio’s comment epitomises the importance of civic engagement work, something that we wouldn’t have been able to do without the University of Southampton.

Universities must take on a civic role, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it brings them huge benefits. As the economy recovers, I hope the government looks to universities as delivery partners, ready to improve access to the arts in their student body and the wider community.

Louise Coysh is Director of Turner Sims and Associate Director of Arts and Culture at the University of Southampton.
 turnersims.co.uk/ 
 @TurnerSims | @ArtsUniSouth | @CoyshLouise