Our "culture" is how we live, communicate and relax. We are proud to live in a vibrantly multi-cultural city. Arts and recreation are crucial to health and well being. We need a balance between formal provision and opportunities to create our own entertainment and recreation. Local control over what is
provided or enabled is important. Leisure pursuits and voluntary work
are often unacknowledged yet are the backbone of almost all cultural and
recreational activity.

In Sheffield

We have large venues both for performing arts and recreation - theatres, concert halls, and sports facilities. But local facilities have suffered, the community arts budget has been scrapped and allotments have been neglected by the Council. Funding for sport is increasingly "medal based". Instead, we need to focus on encouraging ordinary people to take part in healthy physical activity. More facilities are needed for younger children, teenagers and older people.

The Green Party has:

• Campaigned against the loss of school playing fields and their
  replacement by centralised, all weather facilities.
• Supported the call by the Live Music Forum task force for every council to convert at least one disused property into a rehearsal space.
• Highlighted the community benefits of allotments and campaigned for more resources and more user-friendly management by the Council.
• Organised the Sheffield Green Fair for more than 20 years Supported the Sharrow Festival and Sharrow Lantern Festival.
• Helped to secure external funding for more small to medium-sized venues for locally controlled music, theatre, dance, sports and youth clubs.
• Supported local sports clubs and encouraged involvement of parents in sport as coaches, referees and organisers.
• Encouraged activities such as swimming lessons, cycling proficiency and gardening ensuring that they are nearby, affordable and have disabled access.
• Supported projects to preserve Sheffield's unique industry and industrial past in museums and heritage sites.

Our local Green Party members will:

• Encourage everybody to take part in local arts, culture and recreation.
• Encourage more people to earn a living using their creativity.

Our Green Councillors have:

• Supported allotments and healthy gardening projects by working in
  partnership with individuals and the community and friends groups who use allotment, parks and other green spaces
• Helped to secure external funding for more small to medium sized venues for locally controlled music, theatre, dance, sports and youth clubs.

Our Green Councillors will:

• Prioritise facilities for young people to increase participation in sport and exercise up to and beyond the 2012 Olympics.
• Support allotments, healthy gardening projects and green spaces by working with individuals and user groups and bringing their concerns to the allotments advisory group
• Promote Sheffield to national and world visitors and look at improving information to tourists to provide a better welcome to the city.