THERE will be a renewed focus on arts and culture in Carlisle.

Preparations are underway to breath new life into the city's arts and culture scene with the launch of a new Strategic Framework for Culture in Carlisle on Monday, November 9

There are four different areas that it focuses on: cultural leadership and enterprise; cultural destination and place-making; community wellbeing; and children, young people, and lifelong learning.

Then, there are a further 10 priority areas that the Carlisle Culture partnership will focus on in the coming years.

Plans to develop the framework began to emerge in 2019 out of a partnership between Carlisle City Council, Prism Arts, Tullie House, and the University of Cumbria, with Arts Council England providing funding support.

A Culture Consortium spokesman said: “This year’s Covid-19 crisis has simultaneously reinforced people’s passion for arts and culture and devastated arts and cultural livelihoods because of lockdown’s enforced closures and cancellations.

“Both effects serve to emphasise a vital role for this cultural strategy and the urgency of supporting Carlisle’s arts and cultural sector as a key contribution to our recovery from the crisis.”

Priorities outlined in the framework cover a broad range of different focuses for the city.

One of them is to develop a new cultural festival for the city that will put Carlisle on the map and bring more tourists to visit the area.

Another is to form culture partnership panels that will ensure cultural opportunities are diverse and inclusive.

The framework will be launched in a virtual event on November 9 between 10am and 12.30pm.

There will be several key people speaking during the event including: Jane Beardsworth from Arts Council England, Dr Colette Conroy from the University of Cumbria, Jane Meek from Carlisle City Council, and Jo Lappin from Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.

For more information about the event, visit EventBrite.