Heritage, Culture and Creativity (HCC) Programme
On 3 July 2024 Minister Lyons announced a new approach to provide, for the first time, a comprehensive collection of culture-related policies in Northern Ireland. Under the heading of “Heritage, Culture and Creativity”, this programme will address actions to conserve, protect and promote our cultural heritage and historic environment; and to encourage, support and develop the curiosity, active engagement and creativity it helps to inspire particularly through the arts.
Benefits of HCC approach
Heritage, Culture and Creativity will not only build on the important work undertaken by the Culture, Arts and Heritage Taskforce but its focus will be expanded to include the review and refreshment of policies on public libraries and of museums.
The structure of the programme gives each of the constituent parts the status they merit; provide each of the communities of interest their own focus; and allow each exercise to proceed on its own timetable. Heritage, Culture and Creativity will deliver distinct policies for the Department’s responsibilities in respect of heritage, arts, museums and public libraries. Given the many common themes running through the work, these will be brought together again through a collated action-planning model.
Written Ministerial Statement - Department for Communities - Heritage, Culture and Creativity
Platform for the HCC Programme
Culture, Arts and Heritage – A Way Forward
In October 2022, the then Minister for Communities, Deirdre Hargey, launched a programme of work to develop a new vision and strategy for culture, arts and heritage.
The approach was outlined in a Way Forward document which aimed to shape better ways for the culture, arts and heritage sectors to be more fully recognised, harnessed and supported as key enablers of a thriving society.
Building on the work of stakeholders
This process advanced the recommendations of stakeholders who had shaped emergency responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and who called for a longer-term strategy to support recovery.
The CAH Strategy Taskforce
The reconvened Taskforce brought together stakeholders from across the Culture, Arts and Heritage sectors who mapped out their proposals a sectoral development and investment report to reorientate how the culture, arts and heritage sectors are collectively perceived, engaged and supported across government.
The work of the Taskforce concluded with the presentation of the report, ‘Investing in Creative Delivery,’ to the Department.