The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) Network is the national collective that shares best practice and generates knowledge to capture and celebrate the success of the DCMS CDF round one investment. By creating the space to nourish, innovate and re-energise for all of the trailblazing first round of CDF projects, we influence, communicate, learn, celebrate, drive further investment and secure the legacy of the Cultural Development Fund.
Announced by DCMS as part of the Creative Industries Sector Deal to help the country’s world-leading cultural and creative industries thrive, the five first round CDF locations across England include Creative Estuary, Grimsby, Plymouth, Wakefield and Worcester. Each received a share of £20m to invest in local culture, heritage and creative industries and help drive economic growth.
The CDF Network acts as a forum to support the evaluation of the CDF first round and the link between cultural investment and local growth. The CDF is a prime opportunity to build the evidence base around culture’s impact. Helping to build and amplify the evidence base at a national and local level – and to share this with the wider creative and cultural sector – is an important component of this.
