The Keats House Consultative Committee's meeting is scheduled for Thursday 29 October 2026. The agenda includes a review of achievements at Keats House between April and September 2026, and the confirmation of minutes from the previous meeting.

Achievements at Keats House April - September 2026

A report detailing the achievements at Keats House for the period of April to September 2026 is to be presented. This report, prepared by Katie Stewart, Executive Director of Environment, and authored by Rob Shakespeare, Head of Heritage & Museums, Natural Environment, will update members on activities undertaken in line with Keats House's annual Activities Plan¹. The plan aims to contribute to departmental, corporate, and wider cultural sector outcomes.

The report highlights that Keats House has been open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The spring to autumn exhibition, 'The Nightingale Suite' by artist Martin Huxter, opened on 29 April and runs until 1 November 2026. This exhibition features 11 works inspired by Keats's poem and is accompanied by special displays detailing the poem's creation, developed in collaboration with colleagues at The London Archives.

Between April and September 2026, Keats House welcomed 4,965 visitors. The report notes this as a small decrease compared to the previous year, which saw higher numbers due to centenary celebrations, but considers it a relatively small reduction given the current tourist and economic landscape. A total of 26 public events were held, engaging 697 people, with positive feedback received.

Keats House continues to partner with the Keats Foundation, hosting their annual conference in June, which brought together academics and researchers to discuss 'The Keats Circle'. The house's formal learning programme delivered 24 school group visits, educating 417 students. The creative writing Summer School 2026, themed 'Transformations', engaged 28 students. Additionally, Keats House secured funding from the City Corporation's Education Strategy Unit (ESU) through their Cultural & Creative Learning Fund to collaborate with the London Symphony Orchestra on 'The Poetry of Music' project and develop a local heritage walking trail.

Volunteers contributed 437 hours, supporting visitor tours, poetry readings, and collections care. A postgraduate student from the USA undertook a collections audit, and undergraduates provided visitor welcome support. Keats House also hosted a secondary school student on work experience and a Graduate Management Trainee, who assisted with policy revisions, managed the retail offer, and launched a virtual tour of Keats House on the Bloomberg Connects platform.

The house supported events for the Hampstead Summer Festival and participated in the Open House Festival, attracting a record 522 visitors. Restoration work on the rear of the property, including the veranda and conservatory, funded by the City Corporation's Cyclical Works Programme (CWP), has been completed. Planning for the next phase of CWP works, involving the replacement of the roof and roof-lanterns of Ten Keats Grove, is underway.

The report also notes that Keats Community Library continues to operate under a licence until March 2029. No activities involving the sale of alcohol have taken place under Keats House's premises licence in 2026/27, with any licensable events organised by the Hampstead Summer Festival covered by Temporary Event Notices (TENs). The Premises Licence for 10 Keats Grove was renewed until September 2027.

Members are asked to note these achievements and make any representations they wish to the Culture, Heritage & Libraries Committee.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The committee is scheduled to agree the minutes of the previous meeting, which took place on 30 April 2026. These minutes are available for review on pages 3-8 of the provided documents.