Visit From Creative Industry Minister

This month, Sir Chris Bryant—Minister for Arts, Culture, Tourism (and Space!), visited Falmouth to see firsthand how our town is contributing to the UK’s creative and visitor economies. I was proud to show him how deeply embedded art, culture, hospitality, and community are in this part of Cornwall.

At Falmouth Art Gallery, we met the Town Council’s Cultural Services team, who provide essential education and outreach work while supporting emerging local artists. Like many institutions across the country, they face challenges maintaining ageing buildings—and we discussed potential routes for help with this. 

Next, we visited the Cornish Bank, a vital platform for emerging talent. Alongside other venues like the Princess Pavilion and Chintz, it forms part of a rich local music ecosystem and is a key meeting point for the wider community. Small venues, like the Cornish Bank, are turning emerging artists into stadium fillers and must be supported.

As part of the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are backing campaigns like Own Our Venues, which secures venues as permanent cultural hubs, and a new stadium levy that will redirect money from arena ticket sales to support smaller venues.

At the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, we saw traditional boatbuilding in action and previewed Wipeout, a cool new aerial dance performance set to tour schools and festivals across Cornwall with support from Arts Council England.

The Ministerial visit also touched on bigger policy shifts:

·       A new Visitor Economy Growth Strategy (due this autumn)

·       Progress on regulating short-term lets—a long-time ask from Cornwall MPs

·       Planning reforms requiring developers to soundproof new homes near music venues

Cornwall’s creative and cultural life is rich in talent and innovation. But sustaining it requires sustained investment, particularly at the grassroots and developmental level. To nurture the next generation of artists, build community, and create bold new work, we must support the foundations that make it all possible.