Our motivation

The very centre of London, comprising the area in and around its four main squares Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Somerset House courtyard is a hive of culture and creativity. Whilst it is the UK’s cultural hub, with cultural enterprises in all their variety packed in and around these four main squares, there is only very limited partnership/collaboration between them.

In the past decade momentum nationally and internationally has been building to consider how a more cohesive strategy for cultural delivery could benefit particular geographical areas. In London four other cultural quarters have already been set up.

Other cities such as Barcelona, New York and Berlin have also set out cultural zones. With the unique opportunities presented around the 2008-2012 Cultural Olympiad and a new emphasis by government on the importance of the ‘creative economy’ it is clear that West End cultural enterprises needed to consider how a ‘connected’ approach could maximise their impact locally, nationally and internationally.