Based on a four-year research project which highlights the important role of community organizations as intermediaries between community and culture, this book analyzes the role played by cultural intermediaries who seek to mitigate the worst effects of social exclusion through engaging communities with different forms of cultural consumption and production. The authors challenge policy makers who see cultural intermediation as an inexpensive fix to social problems. They also explore the difficulties facing intermediaries trying to adapt their activities to the rapidly changing public sector landscape, and offer alternative frameworks for future practice.