Cornwall the ‘Creation Nation’: Council’s 10-Year Culture Plan

More than a million people turned up to live cultural events backed by Cornwall Council in a single year. The Council wants that to be the floor, not the ceiling.

Culture and creativity are for everyone. That sits at the heart of Cornwall Council’s new Cultural Strategy, a 10-year plan running to 2036 that sets out how the Council will support the people, projects and places behind Cornwall’s creative life. The document carries a Cornish title, Strateji Gonisogeth Kernow, and one big idea: Cornwall the Creation Nation.

A sector worth £291 million

More than 7,350 people work across Cornwall’s creative and cultural sector, which adds £291 million to the Cornish economy each year. Around 1,175 creative companies operate here, most of them small businesses, and roughly 65% of the workforce are freelancers. Over the next decade the Council says it will help individuals, organisations and businesses access funding, and provide more chances to network and find support.

Film and television has been one of the fastest movers. Production spend in Cornwall rose from £1.6 million in 2021 to £16.5 million in 2023.

Five ambitions

The strategy is built around five ambitions, each given in English and Cornish. They are Joining In (Owth Omjunya), Supporting People (Ow Skoodhya Tus), Growing Our Economy (Ow Tevi Agan Erbysiedh), Improving Our Places (Ow Kwellhe Agan Leow) and Celebrating Cornwall (Ow Solempnya Kernow). Between them they cover access to culture, skills and education, the creative economy, venues and places, and Cornish identity.

The Council will work with partners to inspire creativity in schools and strengthen routes through further and higher education. It also plans to develop Curriculum Kernewek to tie Cornish culture and heritage into what children learn, and to protect and improve venues, museums, libraries and community spaces.

The numbers behind Cornwall’s culture

The strategy gathers some striking figures. Boardmasters draws 58,000 people a year. Around 40,000 head to Eden Sessions each summer, and another 40,000 celebrate Mazey Day in Penzance as part of the Golowan festival. In Helston, 2,650 dancers take part in Flora Day each May. Around 900,000 people attend the Lorient Interceltique Festival in Brittany, where they can see Cornish performers.

Cornwall now has more than 70 B-Corp companies, the highest number outside London, along with 40 brass and silver bands and 200 engine houses within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site. Cornish language holds Part III status, and 30 primary schools run Cornish activities through GoCornish.

What’s coming next

The plan lists several pipeline projects. Town Deals money in 2026/27 is earmarked for new facilities at Leach Pottery in St Ives, a new culture and heritage centre in Camborne, and improvements to Penlee Gallery and Museum in Penzance. The Flamm visual arts festival moves to Bodmin in 2026, and the Council wants to expand creative workspaces including Pixel in Penzance, the Workshed in Liskeard and Krowji in Redruth.

A new board, and a possible visitor levy

The strategy ties culture to Cornwall Council’s move towards becoming a Foundational Strategic Authority under devolution. The Council plans to set up a new culture strategy board to steer investment. It also states that culture and heritage would be priority sectors for money raised through any future visitor levy, linking the sector to tourism and the year-round economy.

‘Cornwall the Creation Nation’

Councillor Sarah Preece, cabinet member with responsibility for culture at Cornwall Council, said: “Our vision is simple: Cornwall the Creation Nation.

“Culture is embedded within Cornish communities and is an expression of our confidence and distinctiveness as the UK’s Fifth Nation. It also provides opportunities for people to learn skills, get work, start a business and improve where they live.

“This strategy positions Cornwall as a leading place for creativity and innovation, where culture is embedded in everyday life and is accessible to all.”