This book considers the importance of cultural intermediaries, analysing their role as mitigators of the worst effects of social exclusion and examining the necessity to engage communities with different forms of cultural consumption and production.

Chapter 1. Introduction: Bringing communities and culture together; Phil Jones, Beth Perry, Paul Long. Section One: Changing Contexts Chapter 2. The Creative Economy, The Creative Class, and Cultural Intermediation; Orian Brook, Dave O’Brien, and Mark Taylor. Chapter 3. Mapping Cultural Intermediaries; Lisa De Propris. Chapter 4. Towards cultural ecologies: why urban cultural policy must embrace multiple cultural agendas; Beth Perry and Jessica Symons. Chapter 5. State-Sponsored Amateurism: Cultural Intermediation, Participation and Non-Professional Production; Paul Long. Section Two: Practices of Cultural Intermediation Chapter 6. `An area lacking cultural activity’: Researching Cultural Lives in Urban Space; Paul Long and Saskia Warren. Chapter 7. Case Study: SOME CITIES; Dan Burwood. Chapter 8. Governing the creative city: the practice, value and effectiveness of cultural intermediation; Beth Perry Chapter 9. Participatory budgeting for culture: handing power to communities? Phil Jones Chapter 10. Saadia Kiyani. Case study: Balsall Heath Legends; Saadia Kiyani. Chapter 11. Screening films for social change: origins, aims and evolution of the Bristol Radical Film Festival; Laura Ager. Section Three: Evaluation, Impact and Methodology Chapter 12. Engineering cohesion: a reflection on academic practice in a community-based setting; Arshad Isakjee. Chapter 13. Case study: Force Deep; Chris Jam Chapter 14. Strategies for overcoming research obstacles: developing the Ordsall Method as a process for ethnographically-informed impact in communities; Jessica Symons Chapter 15. Street Art, Faith and Cultural Engagement, Mohammed Ali. Chapter 16. From the inside: reflections on cultural intermediation; Yvette Vaughan Jones. Conclusion Chapter 17. Conclusion. Where next for cultural intermediation? Phil Jones, Paul Long and Beth Perry.

"This book looks behind the bland statement that 'culture is good for you' and explores the messy, contradictory and hopeful space that exists in the intersection between cultural work and community development. Drawing on practice and academic thought, this book will be challenging and helpful to readers working in this area." Dave Beck, University of Glasgow