Poverty Proofing®

A key part of Culture Start’s legacy is the delivery of Poverty Proofing®, a programme developed by Children North East to help cultural organisations identify and remove barriers that children and young people experiencing financial disadvantage may face when accessing arts and culture.

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“I now have a much sharper focus on the hidden costs and the impact of seemingly minor things, for example specific venue choices, timing of events, or the materials and equipment participants are expected to provide. I’m more mindful of the stigma and the need to communicate options discreetly and with dignity.”

Marty Longstaff

Poverty Proofing Case Study – Marty

A man with short brown hair and a beard, wearing a grey jumper, smiles at the camera. — Marty Longstaff

“Just having the word ‘Free’ quite big on everything made a huge difference. If there’s uncertainty around cost, people just won’t do it because they’re worried someone might ask them for money. When it’s really clear that it’s free, they’re much more willing to take the risk.”

Laura Brewis, We Make Culture

Poverty Proofing Case Study – We Make Culture

A woman with short bobbed hair wearing a blue denim shirt turns to the camera, smiling. — Laura Brewis

Report Findings

Through consultations and community conversations, several common challenges have emerged. These include difficulties in communicating and promoting opportunities, with families often relying on informal networks or social media to discover activities. There are also challenges around clear signposting between programmes, meaning some families interested in creative opportunities do not always know where to find them.

Other barriers identified include age-specific provision, where some young people feel there are limited activities available for their age group; access to affordable food during activities; and the cost and practicality of travel to venues, including parking and limited public transport.

Alongside identifying these challenges, the programme has highlighted promising practice across partners. This includes increasing presence at community events to raise awareness of activities, creating family-friendly sessions that allow siblings and parents to attend together, offering snacks during sessions, and sharing practical information about free parking and travel options.

These insights are helping organisations make practical changes to ensure their programmes and venues are more welcoming and accessible, embedding more inclusive practice across Sunderland’s cultural sector.

Read Culture Start’s Poverty Proofing Report

A child with long light brown hair, wearing a blue fury jacket, sits at a wooden table drawing on a large piece of paper. At the top of the frame you can see an open laptop and a short, black tripod.

Culture Start is supported by a £1.2m Place Partnership award from Arts Council England through the National Lottery, and generously funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Sir James Knott Trust, and the Gillian Dickinson Trust.

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