The Farrell Report and Regeneration of York
Graham Henderson has a lot of experience of ideas leadership in the arts, initiating and promoting best practice and innovation in the cultural sector. A fine example of this is the key role that he played in the Farrell Review, a report commissioned by the then Culture Secretary in 2013 into public art. Published in 2014, the Farrell Report set out a number of important recommendations for the government, architects, developers, local authorities and public arts practitioners. Graham was asked to write an official essay in support of these recommendations in the form of a call to action. The essay (which is still available on the Farrell website) translated the findings of the report into inspiring language designed to promote action.
The Farrell Report has given birth to a number of important and on-going initiatives designed to deliver better public art. These include the Arts & Place initiative and the Place Alliance, and Graham continues to participate in both of these networks. Amongst other things this has led to a number of public speaking engagements, including two separate events designed to encourage residents of the city of York to get involved in the regeneration of the area around the main railway station, one of the UK’s most significant development projects, which has the arts and culture at its heart.
This kind of ideas leadership has clearly made a real difference to the way that the arts are perceived and to how important public art commissions are delivered. Graham has also written, spoken and taken a lead on other important subjects too, notably including new investment models for the arts, the arts and civil society, and cultural entrepreneurship. These activities have also resulted in concrete outcomes and on-going activities in the real world.
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