High Street Tourism

Wealden’s High Street Cultural programme uses events and experiences to revitalise rural town centres. By combining community insight, local evidence and targeted investment, the programme supports thriving high streets, local businesses and vibrant places for people to come together.

Key projects included Streets of Wealden street theatre, Journeys Festival of Dance and Springle – Wealden Spring Festival, which brought together performance, dance, music, storytelling, school engagement and community-led activities to attract visitors, support local businesses and create vibrant town centres across Wealden.

Background

The programme was developed in response to declining footfall, changing shopping habits and limited cultural opportunities across our rural towns. Drawing on feedback from residents, businesses and local partners, alongside evidence about how our high streets are changing, we identified opportunities to invest in cultural activity as a way of revitalising town centres.

This approach helps attract more visitors, support local businesses and create thriving places for communities to enjoy.

Aims & Objectives

The wider project aimed to use culture as a catalyst for high street regeneration, increasing footfall and dwell time while supporting local businesses. The events sought to create free, accessible and inclusive cultural experiences, removing barriers such as cost, travel and traditional venue access.

The programme also aimed to encourage participation, celebrate diversity, strengthen community connections and generate evidence for a larger, sustainable, district-wide cultural programme.

Streets of Wealden

This series of events was the catalyst for our culture-led approach to high street regeneration, delivered in partnership with 18 Hours Ltd. Launched in 2023, it brought nationally and internationally acclaimed street theatre into accessible public spaces, it transformed high streets into vibrant destinations offering free, high-quality entertainment.

The festival reached Crowborough, Hailsham, Heathfield, Uckfield and Polegate, with programming shaped by community feedback to increase participation and celebrate diversity through inclusive performances and artists from varied backgrounds.

The results were exceptional, with 98% of audiences rating their experience as Good or Excellent. Businesses in every town reported increased footfall and longer dwell times, while residents were encouraged to explore neighbouring towns and rediscover their local high streets. Most importantly, the project demonstrated that culture can drive footfall, strengthen local economies and create vibrant public spaces, providing the evidence and confidence to expand our wider cultural regeneration programme.

Journeys Festival of Dance

Building on the success of Streets of Wealden, this project expanded our cultural programme, demonstrating how high streets could become welcoming spaces for participation, creativity and wellbeing. Delivered with 18 Hours Ltd, the festival brought free professional dance performances and participatory workshops to accessible town centre locations in Uckfield and Hailsham, removing barriers including cost, travel and traditional venue access.

Beginning in 2024 with a fire performance in Hailsham, Journeys attracted 468 audience members in 2025, while residents aged from 3 to over 70 took part in free workshops. The programme successfully reached new and diverse audiences, including through a Bollywood performance in Uckfield, while breakdance workshops in Hailsham encouraged participation from boys and men – groups traditionally underrepresented in dance.

Audience satisfaction was outstanding, with 100% of respondents rating the experience Good or Excellent. Journeys demonstrated strong local appetite for diverse, accessible and inclusive cultural experiences, helping build the case for a larger district-wide festival.

Springle

Wealden Spring Festival represents the culmination of our culture-led regeneration journey, building on the success and learning of Streets of Wealden and Journeys Festival of Dance. The flagship festival combined large-scale outdoor spectacle, music, dance, storytelling, schools engagement and community participation, bringing culture, commerce and community together on our high streets.

Created to address seasonal challenges, Springle encourages residents and visitors into town centres after winter, supporting local businesses before the peak tourism season. The festival welcomed approximately 8,500 attendees, including 6,000 at its opening event. Six school workshops engaged 130 pupils, culminating in a community parade, while marketing reached 202,567 people and generated 241,498 views and more than 1,000 audience interactions.

Feedback highlighted the festival’s accessibility, creativity and positive impact on local pride. Springle has established a sustainable foundation for our future cultural programme and demonstrates how strategic cultural investment can deliver lasting social, economic and cultural benefits.

Impact and results

The projects delivered strong participation, audience satisfaction and economic benefits. Streets of Wealden achieved 98% Good or Excellent audience ratings, while Journeys Festival of Dance achieved 100%.

Springle attracted approximately 8,500 attendees, including 6,000 at its Hailsham opening, engaged 130 pupils through six school workshops and reached 202,567 people through marketing. Businesses reported increased footfall, with several extending opening hours, demonstrating culture’s contribution to vibrant high streets.