UPDATED: We Asked Croydon’s Mayoral Candidates Their Plans for Culture. Here’s What They Said:
At Croydon Makers & Creators, we exist to champion culture and support the borough’s creative community. With the upcoming mayoral election fast approaching, we wanted to better understand where each candidate stands on culture in Croydon—and how they plan to support and grow the sector in the years ahead.
To do this, we reached out to all mayoral candidates with a set of questions focused on their vision for culture, creativity, and the local creative economy. Below is the email we sent to all 8 candidates:
Dear Mayoral Candidates,
We are writing from Croydon Makers & Creators, the independent community representation of Croydon's cultural sector, founded as a legacy of Croydon's London Borough of Culture. As Croydon's community voice for creatives, ahead of the election, we are asking candidates to briefly outline their approach to culture in Croydon.
Protecting & supporting existing cultural space
How would you protect existing cultural spaces from displacement and secure a diverse breadth of affordable, long-term space for culture (studios, venues, community use)?
Decision-making
How would you ensure cultural organisations are involved early and treated as partners, with better access to decision-makers?
Long-term investment & infrastructure
How would you support sustained cultural infrastructure, beyond short-term project funding? How would you ensure regeneration and redevelopment aligns with Croydon’s cultural strategy and community priorities? How would you position culture within health, inclusion and local economic development?
We are coordinating responses across all candidates. Responses will be shared publicly via our social media channels.
Please respond by 27th April 2026.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Katia, Katie, Honey and B
CMC Co-Directors
Here are the responses we received (In order of receipt):-
Jason Perry
(Current Executive Mayor of Croydon,
Conservative Party Candidate for Mayor of Croydon 2026)
Dear Katia, Katie, Honey and B,
Thank you for your email and for the work you do representing Croydon’s creative community. Culture is not an add-on in Croydon - it is part of our identity, our economy, and our future.
I’ve set out my approach below.
Protecting & supporting existing cultural space
We have been clear that regeneration in Croydon must not come at the expense of the communities that give the borough its character. That includes our creative and cultural sector.
Through our planning approach, we have strengthened expectations on developers to retain and incorporate cultural space where it already exists, and to include affordable workspace in new schemes. We are also using meanwhile and flexible-use models more actively, ensuring empty or underused spaces can support creatives rather than sit idle.
A central commitment in my manifesto is a dedicated creative industries push to establish Croydon as South London’s hub for film, TV and digital production. This includes:
· Using empty retail and office space as pop-up studios and affordable creative workspaces
· Developing satellite studio and location hub opportunities on vacant sites
· Creating a clear, brand-led identity for the town centre – with signage, communications and a strong “Made in Croydon” story
· Ensuring this is about permanent space and opportunity, not short-term displacement
The aim is straightforward: keep creative talent in Croydon, give it room to grow, and make sure regeneration works for the people already here.
Decision-making
One of the lessons from the past is that engagement has to happen early and meaningfully.
We are improving how we work with the sector by bringing cultural organisations into conversations at the outset of major regeneration and policy decisions – not after plans are already formed. That includes closer working with representative groups like yours, clearer routes into decision-makers, and more consistent engagement across the council and our development partners.
We also recognise the importance of independent, grassroots voices in shaping culture locally. Organisations like Disauthority play a vital role in connecting artists, audiences and ideas, and ensuring that Croydon’s cultural scene remains authentic, diverse and locally driven.
We want cultural organisations to be partners in shaping Croydon’s future, not consultees at the end of the process.
Long-term investment & infrastructure
Croydon’s recovery depends on getting the basics right - including stabilising the council’s finances after the £1.6 billion debt we inherited. That work has been essential to creating the conditions for sustainable, long-term investment, including in culture.
Our approach now is to embed culture into economic growth and regeneration, not treat it as a standalone or short-term funding stream.
This is backed by a clear delivery framework. As set out in the Croydon Growth Plan, we are:
· Coordinating a £30 million programme of public investment into the town centre to support cultural and public realm improvements
· Using mechanisms such as the Growth Zone, Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy to fund infrastructure, cultural space and regeneration
· Aligning culture with major Town Centre Vision and Delivery Plans to ensure it is built into long-term development, not added later
· Bringing together public and private partners through a Town Centre Partnership approach to coordinate delivery and investment
The Plan is explicit that Croydon’s creative and cultural economy is a core growth sector, with more creative businesses per capita than major UK cities and a clear ambition to expand cultural spaces, events and attractions as part of regeneration .
Alongside this, we are in the process of:
· Working with Film London and the British Film Commission to position Croydon as a destination for film and TV production
· Partnering with local colleges and training providers to create pathways into film, editing and media careers
· Building apprenticeships and skills pipelines so local young people can access these opportunities
· Attracting inward investment and supporting a growing creative cluster
This is about serious economic regeneration, not just one-off events.
It also aligns with the wider London Growth Plan, that I helped to develop, which recognises culture as a key driver of the experience economy - supporting jobs, investment and Croydon’s role as a future visitor destination.
At the same time, we are continuing to support and champion the culture that already exists here. As an example, this year we have been celebrating the life and legacy of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor through a borough-wide programme of events. These celebrations brought activity across the town centre including a BRIT School takeover at Croydon Clocktower, an anniversary concert at Fairfield Halls, and a new exhibition at the Museum of Croydon.
These events showcase the depth of local talent we have in Croydon today, while also celebrating the borough’s cultural heritage. They are exactly the kind of activity we want to see more of - rooted in place, accessible to residents, and helping to bring our town centre to life.
More broadly, we see culture as central to:
· Economic growth - supporting local businesses and attracting investment
· Health and wellbeing - through participation, creativity and stronger communities
· Inclusion and opportunity - ensuring young people and underrepresented groups can access and shape cultural life
I have made it a priority to visit and support many of our arts and cultural events, meeting many of you in the process. I have enhanced resources within the Council which has seen, for example, increased opening hours and exhibitions for the museum as well as re-accreditation. I have also committed to a successful legacy programme for the London Borough of Culture, which has had great support from the sector.
I view our cultural offer and creative sector as very much being a jewel in our crown.
There is more to do, but the direction is clear: protect what we have, involve the sector properly, and back culture as a core part of Croydon’s future and economy.
I would be very happy to continue this conversation.
Best wishes,
Jason Perry
Executive Mayor of Croydon
Peter Underwood
Green Party Candidate for Mayor of Croydon 2026
Thanks for getting in touch. Green believe that culture is not just a ‘nice to have’ — it is part of what makes a place worth living in.
Croydon has real creative heritage and genuine artistic energy, but too little infrastructure to support it. We want to build a borough where culture is embedded in neighbourhoods, not just concentrated in expensive flagship venues that most residents rarely use.
We want to honour Croydon’s rich history and bring a mix of cultural opportunities to Croydon - with residents. We will protect community assets through like-for-like planning requirements, so pubs, community halls, theatres and independent shops cannot simply be converted away. We’ll create a cultural quarter in Croydon’s town centre, anchoring Croydon’s identity as a creative destination, whilst also encouraging cultural opportunities and events across the borough - because everyone should be able to access culture. We will advocate for a mid-sized community performance and events space. Fairfield Halls is too large and expensive for most community groups; we need something more accessible. Greens also support the vision for a small theatre in the tradition of the old Croydon Warehouse: an intimate, affordable venue that nurtures new work and local talent.
We will support community arts and theatre groups, recognising that pubs, community halls, and informal venues are where artists often begin. We will support links between venues and creatives and colleges to provide opportunities for local talent to shine and make Croydon a beating heart for arts and culture.
Greens will work with community organisations to find funding for community murals and public art that reflects Croydon’s diversity and history and create more opportunities for residents to collaborate in making culture, not just consume it. We will work to protect council assets from sales. By owning and running successful public spaces, with local organisations, we can start giving power and resources back to communities.
A vibrant night-time economy does more than generate revenue: it strengthens social bonds, creates jobs, and puts Croydon on the map as a destination. We want a borough where people living in Croydon spend their money in Croydon, and where others travel to Croydon, not just through it. We will work with partners, businesses and residents to make the night-time environment safe, welcoming, and inclusive, particularly for women and marginalised groups.
Greens believe that power should come from the bottom up, not the top down. That means that the Council should be there to serve the needs of residents, not the other way around. Politics shouldn’t just be a once every four years event, people should be able to have an ongoing input into how Council decisions are made. People should be able to have an ongoing input into how Council decisions are made. We can make things better by drawing on the knowledge and experience of all Croydon residents to work together to improve our borough and the way the Council operates.
Full details of our proposals are in our Croydon local manifesto available on our website: https://croydon.greenparty.org.uk/
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Peter
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Peter Underwood
Green Party candidate for Mayor of Croydon 2026
05 May Update
We have today received a further response. See below:
Rowenna Davis
Labour Candidate for Mayor of Croydon 2026
Dear Katia, Katie, Honey and B,
Thank you for reaching out on this - and apologies for the late response, although I'm sure you can understand that I have a lot on my plate just now! Here are some answers to the questions posed.
1) When it comes to protecting and supporting existing cultural space, I'm very happy to commit to this. If you read my manifesto - available here - you will see a significant focus on making Croydon a thriving hub for the arts. I am keen to support bids for funding from outside bodies, eg the Arts Council, and I am also committed to beefing up the council's bidding team more generally in order to support these. I would also want to engage with the management of Fairfield Halls, which is a fantastic venue which currently falls sadly short of its potential as a community asset, and do whatever I can to improve the offer there - the model of Stanley Arts, in contrast, shows what it achievable when the community is in control. Similarly I want to see better use of Heathfield House, and would look into the possibility of partnerships with the community and external bodies to put it on a sustainable footing and to widen its user base.
2) I am aware that the way the council has worked in recent years has not always been collaborative and inclusive, and I am committed to changing that mindset. I want to see a culture of far greater collaboration, where partners are treated as equals and with appropriate levels of respect. Initiatives such as the Croydon Culture Pass and a greater number of festivals and cultural showcases can only be delivered if this change in working culture can be achieved, and I'm determined to make that happen.
3) I want culture to become far more than simply an 'add-on', and see it fully integrated into how we live healthier lives and how we deliver economic regeneration. Taking part in arts and culture is a way of ensuring people have greater levels of agency and live better lives, and helps combat feelings of loneliness and powerlessness. I saw this first-hand when teaching kids here in Croydon - when I set students work that had a genuine audience, I watched them really come alive. As mayor, I would see my role as being crucial in bringing partners to the table and growing Croydon's cultural offer, building on our existing strengths, harnessing the potential of our young people and using culture as a key means of strengthening and revitalising the local economy. And my plans for a Land Commission and the creation of a consortium of investors for Croydon would also directly support this, as I would make the arts a key part of the plan to revitalise Croydon and secure its long-term economic future.
With very best wishes,
Rowenna
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Rowenna Davis
Labour and Co-op candidate for Mayor of Croydon
We have not (as of the time of this post) received responses from candidates representing Reform, the Liberal Democrats, the Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition, Taking the Initiative, or the independent candidate.
Croydon Makers & Creators
Croydon’s community voice for creatives.