Sustaining the spaces where London experiences culture

21 May 2026

We Made That and PRD have been commissioned by the Mayor of London to deliver a comprehensive health check of the capital's cultural consumption spaces. This work turns the lens towards the places where Londoners and visitors go to experience culture, including music venues, cinemas, museums, archives, galleries, and libraries. These are the places that animate neighbourhoods, anchor high streets and make London's cultural offer accessible to the public.

This research will help build an evidence base that can be used to protect and plan for the spaces where people experience culture, informing policy decisions, shaping funding priorities, and supporting the ongoing work of the capital's Creative Enterprise Zones.

Last year, we completed a review of London's cultural production spaces, examining the studios, workshops and industrial premises where culture is made. That work, also commissioned by the GLA, produced raw datasets alongside a Health Check Report covering the full range of creative production typologies.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Mayor as we shift our focus toward London’s consumption spaces. These spaces contribute deeply to the vibrancy of the city, and our work is now centred on gathering the robust data and evidence needed to understand their needs, challenges and what makes them thrive. With London recently ranked the Best City in the World for Culture for 2026, it is more important than ever that we help ground future planning in deep insight and lived experience.”

Dr Eve Avdoulos, Senior Associate and Urban Research Lead

Building the evidence base

The Cultural Infrastructure Map has become an important planning tool, providing spatial data that helps the Greater London Authority, London boroughs, and other stakeholders track and respond to changes across the cultural landscape. Keeping that map up-to-date is a core part of this commission. For each use typology, we will gather, validate and quality assure a comprehensive dataset, covering the spatial, organisational and building characteristics of each asset. The work will examine clustering and spatial distribution across London, track gains and losses against the data gathered in 2022-23, and build a clearer picture of the tenure and building stock that underpins provision.

A health check for cultural consumption

Alongside the data update, we will undertake a more in-depth health check, assessing the overall risk profile of each use typology and the potential for changes in provision over the next five years. This draws on earlier work covering theatres, arts centres and dance performance spaces, integrating those datasets and findings into a broader assessment of London's audience-facing cultural offer.

The health check will consider not just where spaces are located, but how provision is changing, what pressures operators face, and what that means for communities across the capital, particularly in areas where cultural access is already limited.

Listening to the sector

A distinctive element of this study is its approach to engagement. We will be working directly with sector bodies, operators and representatives through a series of workshops and structured conversations to understand key challenges and areas of opportunity.

We will also be undertaking a short survey for those operating, managing or advocating for cultural consumption spaces across London.

We are keen to hear from those who would like to be involved or find out more about the project, please contact Eve Avdoulos at eve@wemadethat.co.uk

Image credit: Mayor of London