As one of just 12 universities in the UK to hold this status, the Centre has continued to open doors at every level – mobilising its cultural assets, including the Lincoln Arts Centre and Barbican Creative Hub, to connect more people with creativity. 

This has been a year defined by both scale and depth. From its biggest-ever Lincoln Book Festival and the launch of Have a LAFFF! (Lincoln Arts Family Fun Festival), to Made in Lincoln productions touring nationally and bold community-led public artworks, the programme has reached further while remaining rooted in place. 

At the heart of this growth is a commitment to access. The Every Child campaign has expanded significantly, with 943 free tickets distributed – more than triple previous years -alongside a record-breaking year for public donations supporting the scheme. Affordability across the wider programme has remained a priority, with ticket prices averaging £5.27 and never exceeding £30, alongside 719 new members joining the free Live Pass scheme for under-30s—the largest increase in three years. 

Across the programme, powerful work has brought communities together through shared stories and experiences. Freedom: Then and Now, marking 80 years since VE Day, transformed public spaces across Lincoln through a bold programme of art, performance and storytelling, connecting generations in reflection on freedom, identity and collective memory. 

Meanwhile, Museum of Me championed the extraordinary within the everyday. Through a series of pop-up, community-led “museums”, over 20 women from Lincoln have had their lives and stories celebrated, placing lived experience at the centre of cultural space and asking audiences to reconsider whose stories are valued. As one previous participant reflected, “everybody has got an important story to tell.” 

Opening physical as well as metaphorical doors.  

The year has also marked a major step-change in the Centre’s physical and civic presence, with the launch of the Barbican Creative Hub in Lincoln’s city centre, creating new space for artistic businesses and creatives to connect, collaborate and grow. 

Investment in people and pathways into the sector has remained central. Now approaching its third year, Routes In continues to turn potential into practice, offering paid entry-level roles across Lincoln Arts Centre and Barbican Creative Hub in areas including programming, technical production and administration. 

For participants like Zendon Page, the impact has been transformative: 

“Routes In has provided me with a safe environment where I never feel judged for making mistakes… I needed that entry-level role where I had room to make my own path. This role has given me the skills to get my career moving and I feel so much more hopeful for the future.” 

Sector development also included knowledge sharing, including three conferences with a focus on sustainability, wellbeing, and technology. 

Alongside this, the Centre has continued to support artists through commissioning, residencies and sector development activity, strengthening the wider creative ecology across Greater Lincolnshire and creating opportunities for work to be developed, shared and toured nationally. 

Keeping It Local, Supporting New and Original 

This year has marked a step-change in supporting new work and creative talent. Five Creatives in Residence have taken up studios at the Barbican Creative Hub, bringing the building into daily creative use, alongside five Innovate Artists at Lincoln Arts Centre and nine artists presenting work to audiences for the first time. 

Together, these programmes are strengthening pathways for artists to develop, test and share new ideas – ensuring creativity is not only nurtured in Lincoln, but seen and experienced more widely. For example, the Creatives in Residence have been inviting audiences for series of workshops. Sharing their skill sets to support and inspire growth amongst creative practitioners/businesses. 

It has been a year of making work in Lincoln and sharing it nationally, with three new productions touring to Tees Valley, East Lindsey, Mansfield, Barnsley, Medway, North East Lincolnshire and Rochdale. 

Reflecting on the year, Ben Anderson, Director of Lincoln Arts Centre, said: 

“It’s been a year of growth, more children accessing creativity through Every Child, more audiences across the country seeing work made in Lincoln through touring, biggest ever book festivals, and new spaces opening in the city. There’s too much to shout about, but It’s been ambitious, it’s been exciting, and we’re just getting started. Being awarded National Portfolio Organisation status in 2023 was a significant milestone for the University of Lincoln, and one we approach with a strong sense of responsibility. It reflects the growing strength of the region’s cultural sector, and the trust placed in us to support it. 

Building on these foundations, we remain committed to being thoughtful, relevant and responsive working closely with artists, communities and partners to ensure this investment is translated into meaningful, lasting impact.”