Durham Residents Invited to Help Shape the Future of Arts and Culture
Durham, NC - Residents will have an opportunity to help shape the future of arts and culture in Durham during an upcoming Arts Town Hall on Saturday, May 24, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street.
Hosted by the City and County of Durham, MJR Partners, and the Cultural Roadmap Planning Group, the event is part of the community engagement phase of the Durham Cultural Roadmap. This long-term planning effort will guide how arts, culture, and creativity can thrive across Durham in the years ahead.
Residents, artists, and cultural leaders are invited to attend and share their ideas, experiences, and aspirations for a more creative and inclusive Durham. Input collected during the event will help the planning team understand how people currently access arts and culture and how those opportunities can be improved.
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees can expect group discussions, free food, and children’s craft activities provided by The Scrap Exchange. Free parking is available on-site and on adjacent streets. The Hayti Heritage Center is also accessible through fare-free rides on GoDurham, bus stop #5136.
“Durham's cultural life is rooted in people, through their stories, traditions, and creativity,” said Rebecca Holmes, manager of the City’s Cultural & Public Art Program. “We’re inviting residents to share their stories and dreams to shape a cultural plan that serves all residents.”
The Durham Cultural Roadmap is being co-created by the City and County of Durham, the Cultural Roadmap Planning Group, the Durham Cultural Advisory Board, MJR Partners, and a local artist team called the Creative Engagement Team.
For more information or to subscribe to updates, visit the Cultural & Public Art Program webpage, subscribe to the program’s newsletter, follow @creativedurham on Instagram, or email Arts@DurhamNC.gov.
About the Durham Cultural Roadmap
Managed by the City of Durham's Cultural & Public Art Program and Durham County's Public Art Program, the Durham Cultural Roadmap is a planning process using community-wide, equitable engagement to create a cultural plan for the Durham community. This plan will guide future arts and cultural programming and investment with and for Durham. Once broad engagement is completed in late 2025, the plan will be developed and presented to the community, the Durham County Board of Commissioners, and the Durham City Council in spring 2026.
About the Cultural & Public Art Program
The City of Durham’s Cultural and Public Art Program affirms that Durham’s rich cultural and arts community is a part of what makes Durham neighborhoods thrive, attracts tourism, catalyzes business development, and brings residents together. The program seeks to bring cultural and public art opportunities into the everyday experience of Durham residents through delivery of culturally relevant programming. Under the Arts, Culture, and Sustainable Communities Division within the General Services Department, the program manages the City’s public art collection, festivals and special events funding, and two public advisory bodies: the Durham Cultural Advisory Board and the Public Art Committee. Residents and artists interested in art-related opportunities can sign up for alerts through the Monthly Newsletter and follow the program on Instagram.
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