Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the Iranian diaspora and community cohesion in the UK via her cultural programme.

The Government is committed to fostering social cohesion and building stronger, more integrated communities across the UK. Culture is central to this mission, strengthening ties between people and the places they live.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not however, generally run programmes specifically targeted only at the Iranian diaspora. Instead, it supports community cohesion and diaspora cultural expression through broader cultural, arts, and heritage programmes that are open to diverse communities across the UK. Iranian organisations, artists, and community groups can access these initiatives alongside other diaspora groups.

For instance, Arts Council England administers the National Lottery Project Grants, an open fund providing over £100 million annually to artists and organisations of all backgrounds.

Similarly, the National Lottery Heritage Fund provides an open funding programme which supports a broad range of projects that connect people and communities to the UK's heritage including those in diaspora in the UK. Their National Lottery Heritage grants can be used to support cultural traditions, exploring the history of different cultures through storytelling, dance, theatre, food or language for example.