Case study:Achates Develops Strategy: Norwich Creative City Cultural Compact

Achates worked with us on the research and development of a new cultural strategy for Norwich. From interrogating the research to assessing the wider strategic and policy fit, to working with a wide range of partners and consultees, Caroline and the team delivered high quality, high value work that helped us identify new possibilities, build on existing strengths and name the challenges we have to address to move our ambitions forwards and upwards!

Norwich, Norfolk, 11/07/2026
The Norwich Lord Mayor’s Weekend 2026, one of the city’s most popular summer celebrations, featured the traditional Mayoral Procession on the afternoon of Saturday 11 July. A vibrant carnival parade of marching bands, dancers, acrobats, giant puppets, walking floats, and costumed groups wound its way through the streets of Norwich. Leading the procession were the Lord Mayor and the Sheriff of Norwich, in their ceremonial robes, while crowds of spectators lined the route through the centre of the City.
Picture: Norwich City Council/Mark Bullimore Photography 2026

Norwich Creative City Cultural Compact is a partnership seeking to maximise the potential of arts, culture and heritage in Norwich. Following the end of the partnership’s initial five-year plan, the Compact engaged Achates to develop a longer-term cultural strategy.

Working with a consortium of cultural organisations, Norwich City Council and UEA, Achates carried out demographic and asset mapping and led a series of stakeholder consultation workshops to understand the local landscape, key issues and priorities.

Achates then led the partners through a series of workshops to identify priority audiences and impact, to create an Outcomes Framework and associated ten-year goals, and to develop a draft Statement of Purpose and a Narrative Summary of Theory of Change.

Achates then developed an Activity Plan to outline the initiatives by which these outcomes and impact targets could be realised. Where possible this linked to partners’ current work to build on existing good practice. A Fundraising Plan to realise the activity in a managed way over the 5-year period was developed and accompanied by an Operating Model, Staffing Model and Implementation Timeline. A SWOT and a PESTLE analysis were also developed and an accompanying Risk Register put in place.

The Action Plan is now being implemented, and we continue to support the project and a number of the partners.

– Chris Gribble, CEO, The Forum Norwich

Case study:Achates Develops Strategy: Norwich Creative City Cultural Compact

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