Chichester Living to put culture and wellbeing at the heart of its next chapter

Chichester Living is setting out a new direction for 2027, placing culture and wellbeing through discovery and participation at the heart of its next phase.

Building on the success of its Summer of Culture campaign Chichester Living will continue to help residents discover what is happening across the city and surrounding area, while developing a stronger editorial focus on the ways in which culture, creativity, learning, heritage and local participation can enrich everyday life.

The aim is simple: to help people learn something new, try something different and discover more of the place they live.

Chichester has an extraordinary cultural life, ranging from major organisations and venues to small workshops, societies, independent makers, community groups, historic places and local traditions. Chichester Living's growing focus will be not only on what is happening, but on what taking part can give back to people — helping them meet others, learn something new, become more active, notice the place around them differently, volunteer, make things and feel more connected to their community.

The next phase of Chichester Living will continue to be firmly residents-first. Its comprehensive events calendar will remain an important part of the platform, alongside a growing emphasis on stories, places, people and experiences that encourage residents to participate more fully in local life.

A new Culture & Wellbeing strand will draw on the Five Ways to Wellbeing — Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give — to highlight the many ways in which local cultural and community activity can support richer, more connected lives.

Culture in this context goes far beyond major venues or formal arts events. It might mean joining a choir, taking part in a creative workshop, learning about the history of your street, walking through a historic landscape, volunteering, visiting somewhere you have never been before or simply noticing familiar surroundings differently.

Exhibitions, theatre and music will therefore sit alongside heritage walks, talks, workshops, volunteering, local history, crafts, gardens, architecture, nature and opportunities to learn new skills.

Founder, Vicki Meddows-Smith commented:

Chichester Living has always tried to make these opportunities easier to discover. The next step is to look more closely at what participation gives back to people.

The strongest cultural places are not simply those with the most events. They are places where people feel that culture belongs to them, where they feel able to take part, and where local history, creativity, learning and shared experiences contribute to a stronger sense of place.

That is the direction I would like Chichester Living to help support.

The new direction will also build on Chichester Living's Year of Culture, which brings together cultural activity across the area and celebrates the breadth of what is available locally.

Over time, Chichester Living will develop more editorial content around culture, heritage, learning, wellbeing and discovery, while continuing to provide a broad platform for local events and activities.

It will also begin gathering simple evidence and stories about how people discover and participate in local culture — including whether Chichester Living has encouraged residents to try something, visit somewhere or attend an event they might otherwise have missed.

Chichester Living's new Culture & Wellbeing activity will begin in 2027, with further development shaped by residents, local organisations and the experiences of the first year.