Culture, Heritage, Communities and Local Economies

The Cultural Engine

Providing expert and friendly support for organisations making a difference in their communities and improving local economies.

We partner with Local Authorities, Government Agencies, Universities, Trusts, Charities and other Community or Social Organisations by providing capacity and knowledge to:

  • Identify & secure funding.
  • Develop, manage & deliver projects.
  • Write relevant & deliverable strategies.
  • Support business planning & operational development.
  • Nurturing excellent cross-sector partnerships.
  • Undertake research.
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Our Services

In order to complete a successful project there are a number of different skillsets that are important to make a successful proposal become a reality. We are well skilled in a number of fields and can help you in a number of ways to reach your goals with a wide range of skillsets.

Case Studies

Southend City of Culture

The Cultural Engine led the bidding process for Southend to become the UK City of Culture in 2017. We worked with a wide range of partners to put together a…

Southend and the Great War Exhibition

The Cultural Engine worked with the Southend Museum Service to develop a programme of activity, exhibition and commemorative book for the Central Museum, and we produced the HLF bid which…

Resorting to the Coast – Tendring Coastal Towns

Working with Essex County Council and many local partners we developed the ‘Resorting to the Coast’ stage 2 HLF application which included writing a comprehensive interpretation strategy about the undiscovered…

Latest from the News/Blog

Maldon District Creative Gathering at Datum Attitude Brewery (Heybridge), 30th March 2026

The first Maldon District Creative Gathering took place at Datum Attitude Brewery in Heybridge on the 30th March. This was a chance for creative practitioners to get together, network and share some insights into their practice, events and programmes. Representation was from across all ‘corners’ of the District – Burnham-on-Crouch, Tollesbury, Mayland and Maldon. The…

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Reflections on Neighbourhood and Creative Health Event – Maldon District 13th March 2026

Representatives from across the Maldon District gathered for a session exploring the upcoming strategic development of Neighbourhood Health Plans, and how this could create opportunities for creative health activities as part of the wider NHS move towards ‘prevention’. There is significant evidence of the positive impact of participation in creative, heritage and environmental activities on…

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Video of CERG’s Tony Sampson Discussing the Imaginarium and Mezzolevel at i-PLACE Conference (26-27/11/2025)

In this i-PLACE talk, Dr Tony Sampson, Reader in Digital Communications at University of Essex, sets out a new way of thinking about how policy is designed, translated, and implemented. The presentation introduces the concept of the mezzo-level: an intermediate scale of governance operating between macro-level strategy and micro-level lived experience. Tony argues that many…

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Get in Touch

Whatever your requirement, you can be assured that we are here to help.