The Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee were scheduled to meet on Monday, 22 September 2025 to discuss the City Arts Initiative, the Cultural Strategy, and the revenue outturn forecast. The committee was also expected to note the forward plan.

Cultural Strategy

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the development of the Cultural Strategy, which was described as delivering:

• Diverse Engaged Communities • Vibrant Thriving Destination • Flourishing Public Spaces • Providing Excellent Services.

The report included a draft of the strategy's definition, commitment and priorities, which had been developed through workshops with the Culture Strategy Development Group, the Officer Group, and the Member Group. The definition describes what culture means to the City, the commitment is a set of statements that encapsulate the different ways in which the council thinks about culture, and the priorities are the headlines and logical structure that describe what the council wants from the Cultural Strategy, and what it wants to do to make it a reality.

The report also included the Audience Insights Report Population Survey, which was designed to answer questions about audience potential to help inform thinking about the Cultural Strategy. The survey found that the total market size for arts and culture activities is estimated to be 10.2 million people resident in the target area, and that the most visited cultural attractions were museums. The survey also found that people are more likely to associate the City with its history, and that there is work to be done to reposition its more contemporary appeal.

City Arts Initiative

The committee was scheduled to consider recommendations from the City Arts Initiative (CAI) which met on 24 July 2025. The CAI was expected to recommend that the committee approve a blue plaque for Framework Knitters Hall at Lakeside Terrace at Defoe House in the Barbican Centre to commemorate the location of Framework Knitters Hall from 1680-1821. The CAI also recommended that the committee approve a blue plaque for St Olave's Churchyard, Silver Street, to identify the location of the burial site of Frances Quarles, an Anglican Poet, Churchman and Chronologer to the City of London. The CAI also recommended approval of the Fleet Street Quarter Festive Snoopy Trail, which would see 12 artist-designed sculptures of Snoopy's iconic doghouse installed across 12 prominent locations in the Fleet Street Quarter for the festive period.

Revenue Outturn Forecast

The committee was scheduled to receive the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Revenue Outturn Forecast as at Quarter 1 2025/26. The report noted that the total local risk is projected to overspend by £195,000, which is attributed to unidentified savings coupled with lower than targeted income levels. The total central risk budget is projected to overspend by £110,000, related to an increase in rents and rates upon The London Archives.

Other Matters

The committee was also scheduled to note the committee's forward plan.