A Good Life

Amidst all this, how do we still imagine a future we can be proud of? What does it mean to be content with what we have, yet strive for something better?

Havering’s new cultural strategy asks us to consider: what do we need to do for ourselves, for our future selves, and crucially, for each other? It is a call to think collectively about how we create the conditions for a good life – one that values health, belonging and purpose.

At its core, the strategy sets out five principles: to improve health and wellbeing, to champion our young people, to celebrate our heritage, to transform our cultural ecology and to address social and environmental justice. These are not abstract aspirations, but practical values guiding how culture in Havering can shape lives for the better.

Culture is not something separate from us, but can be considered as a way of living itself. It is in the everyday: the ways we gather to celebrate, to eat together, to share time and stories. It might be the history of our markets, the energy of fashion, the rhythms of music and dance, or the artistry of tattooing. It might be found in time spent in nature, in championing our identities, or in the ordinary acts that affirm who we are.

With this openness, we want everybody to see that culture is not just for them but is produced by them. It is the stories we tell of ourselves – the ways we choose to express, question, and celebrate who we are together. Culture is not just something made for people, but something we create collectively.

In Havering, this collective shaping of culture happens through partnerships with organisations across the borough, working together in new and inventive ways. It happens through our People’s Panel – 20 local residents who question, critique, and shape our programme. Their voices ensure that our cultural strategy reflects the diverse experiences of Havering’s people and puts citizen-led decision-making at its heart.

We know that people who are more connected live longer, healthier lives. We know that access to cultural activity can drive us forward, giving a sense of hope and purpose. This is why each project we deliver is a carefully curated contribution towards building legacy and change.

A Good Life is an invitation. It asks residents, visitors, and communities to think differently, to share their own stories, and to imagine together what a better future looks like. We hope that as a borough we can be proud of this approach. It sets us apart from many other cultural strategies: this one is ours to own. By owning it, we can do something different – shaping a strategy that belongs to all of us, and one in which everyone can participate.

We would love to hear your stories of how you see a good life being enacted every day – in your workplaces, in your communities, in the ways you connect and care. And we hope that over the next three years we set the challenge: that collectively we can, and must, shape a good life.

Images: Hannah Davis (courtesy of Havering Changing)