Maldon District councillor Mark Durham is supporting Essex County Council's new Cultural Strategy, which looks to name-drop local celebrities to boost culture and the arts.

The first Cultural Strategy is intended to be the "start of a conversation" defining a "roadmap" as to how Essex County Council can create the conditions for the success of its arts, culture and creative organisations and practitioners.

In his role as Essex County Council Cabinet Member for The Arts, Heritage and Culture, Cllr Durham said: "Essex is a brave county of change-makers and of potential.

"This strong character and sense of identity has resulted in a cultural legacy which has built up over decades.

"From internationally renowned writers like Sarah Perry and musical acts such as Blur and Depeche Mode to visual artists such as Michael Landy, Elsa James, and Grayson Perry; to icons of modern popular culture like The Only Way is Essex and upcoming fashion brand Never Fully Dressed demonstrating the huge potential Essex has as a cultural and creative destination."

The strategy that has been developed over the past two years follows the creation of a £1.5 million Arts & Cultural Fund.

In 2022, Essex County Council formalised a dedicated Film Office for Essex with the objective of positioning the county as a go-to location for the film and TV production industry.

The county council has said its cultural strategy is "vital" to help it create conditions for further growth.

"With productions such as the AppleTV+ adaptation of Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent' set and shot on the Blackwater Estuary, to Hylands House in Chelmsford doubling as the White House in the Netflix hit The Crown, Essex is welcoming more productions than ever before and has the potential to attract more," a council spokesperson added.

Edited by Ben Shahrabi.

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