Supporting our local cultural venues to adapt to rising heat

As part of London Climate Action Week 2026 and amidst three consecutive days of record-breaking June temperatures we co-hosted Climate x Culture x Councils: Shaping Heat Resilience with the British Film Institute (BFI), London Councils, Shade the UK and Julie’s Bicycle. The half-day workshop explored how policy makers and cultural venues in our communities can work together to respond to climate change and increasingly hot summers.

Well adapted arts and cultural venues can play an essential role in supporting community resilience by providing safe, accessible environments for visitors and staff. In our South Bank and Waterloo neighbourhood, we know they also support community wellbeing, local livelihoods and are trusted places of refuge during periods of extreme heat.

At the workshop we launched a new resource, the Heat Adaptation Guide for Arts and Cultural Venues, that we co-commissioned with the BFI from climate adaptation specialists Shade the UK.

Using case studies and insights from venues across South Bank and Waterloo, the guide offers practical measures that organisations big and small across the UK can take to become more resilient to heatwaves.  It covers operational, building and amenity measures alongside how venues can support broader community resilience.

The event also relaunched ‘Cool Off in Culture’ a UK-wide campaign signposting the public to cultural venues during increasingly frequent heatwaves. You can see the growing online map of almost 80 venues, including many locally, that offer spaces to keep cool in warm weather here.  Venues can also sign up to be on the map and access a range of free design assets as part of the campaign.

Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, spoke at the event to welcome the campaign and resources. He was joined by speakers from local Councils and venues showcasing practical ways they have been adapting to heat.

This work leads on from our Climate Action Week event last year that brought together 85 representatives from London cultural organisations to explore how they can both adapt to climate risks and step up as part of local resilience infrastructure.

You can access the Heat Adaptation Guide for Arts and Cultural Venues and Operational Measures Checklist here.