The role that art can play in the regeneration of towns and cities is now recognised worldwide – from Chicago to Barcelona. By engaging with people, art can help to foster local identity and a ‘sense of place’, it can create links between diverse interests, and inspire discovery, inquisitiveness and learning. Art itself is regenerative, one way in which culture, in its diversity, re-invents itself.

ACAVA believes that meeting the cultural needs of the community is an essential part of overall community well-being, the delivery of public services and healthy economic growth to create sustainable communities. Art encourages innovation and creativity across the regeneration agenda. ACAVA engages experienced professional artists in the process of urban design, education, training, and community development, addressing social exclusion, health, and leading-edge media technology.

ACAVA – an agency for regeneration and change through art

• Capital projects and studio provision
• Digital arts and media technology
• Professional development and business support
• Education and training
• Work with young people
• Health and well-being
• Commissioning art in the public realm
• Strategic consulting, planning and programming

Commissioning Art in the Public Realm

ACAVA encourages an integrated, collaborative approach to commissioning art in the public realm that incorporates the best artistic practice whilst genuinely engaging with people and places at a local level. ACAVA has demonstrated in many contexts – housing estates, schools, adult training and health environments - the value of art in mediating between communities and agencies of change.