FAQs

A Cultural Compact is an Arts Council England initiative supported by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). In 2019, they supported the creation of 20 Cultural Compacts around the country.

These Compacts are partnerships designed to support the local cultural sector and enhance its contribution to development, with a special emphasis on cross-sector engagement beyond the cultural sector itself and the local authority. The Compacts model was included in the recommendations of the UK Cultural Cities Enquiry, an independent enquiry into the cultural resources of Britain’s cities. (Source: ACE)

Find out more about the Arts Council Cultural Compact initiative on their site.

Vibrant Shropshire is funded by Arts Council England and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It is managed by Shropshire Council.

The Compact is administered by Alice Machin, the Cultural Compact Officer, and overseen by Paul Gossage, Culture and Heritage Development Manager for Shropshire Council.

Decisions about Vibrant Shropshire are made by a board made up of representatives from Shropshire’s cultural sector and allied industries. Find out more about the board here.

You can contact Vibrant Shropshire via email at culturalcompact@shropshire.gov.uk or you can contact us using the online form

Vibrant Shropshire: A Cultural Compact set up a partnership scheme aimed at connecting with members of the cultural sector throughout the county.

Partners enjoy a range of benefits including access to free events, receiving regular sector news, the chance to apply for funding and be a part of projects.

It is completely free to become a partner and registration can be done here.

In 2024, Vibrant Shropshire ran two rounds of a funding scheme funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This grant scheme supported 29 projects around the county.

There are currently no plans for another round of Vibrant Shropshire funding.

We will update our partners about funding opportunities via our newsletter. Sign up to become a partner and receive our newsletter here.

To find out about external cultural funding opportunities, take a look at our Available Funding page.

You must be a Vibrant Shropshire partner to attend our events. Becoming a partner is completely free and you can sign up here.

Anyone that signs up for one of our events without becoming a partner first, will have their registration removed.

The Vibrant Shropshire newsletter is aimed at the county’s cultural practitioners.

To sign up to the Vibrant Shropshire newsletter, please become a partner for free here. This will automatically then sign you up to receive the newsletter.

Vibrant Shropshire produces a monthly newsletter that features updates about Shropshire’s cultural sector and a round up of available funding.

Our aim is to make this newsletter as informative and useful for Shropshire’s Cultural Sector. If you know of an opportunity that’s of interest to you, chances are it’s of interest to another creative practitioner too.

Please send us details of:

• events
• exhibitions
• classes
• employment opportunities
• shows and performances
• commission opportunities
• available funding
• partnership projects

If you have an item that you think would be of interest to our other partners, please send information to us at culturalcompact@shropshire.gov.uk

Vibrant Shropshire has a partners’ directory section on its Partnership page. This directory will be used to connect partners, promote co-working and link up Shropshire’s cultural sector.

If you are a Vibrant Shropshire partner and would like to be included in this directory please fill out this form.

Once you have filled out the form, please send us a copy of your logo (if you have one) to culturalcompact@shropshire.gov.uk