Small Change: understanding

cultural action as a resource for unlocking assets and building resilience in communities Jeni Burnell* Abstract This article explores the role of culture and cultural action as a resource for unlocking assets and reducing vulnerability with the view of building long-term resilience in communities. Contextualized by the Small Change asset-based approach and the United Kingdom-based Small Change Forum (SCF) initiative, this article examines how culture embodies valuable resources for building resilience in community groups and ways in which cultural action can unlock and use existing assets in communities to bring about change. The opportunities and challenges for achieving development through cultural action are outlined and principles developed which aim to add to the debate about the role of culture in community development