Murmuration: Culture Summit 2026
Interested in place based collective change? Join Culture Central and the RSC as we continue to collectively strategise for culture.
‘Perhaps it is that we commit to murmuration and leadership that shapeshifts.
Perhaps it is that we commit to building strong friendships between leaders so that we can fall on each other when we need to.
Perhaps our leadership looks like living a rich and fulfilling civic life, so that we know that all of our activisms, all of our standing up to and for and against doesn’t have to come from one source, rather, it can come from many.’
Selina Thompson: Challeng-portunities of leadership in 2025
Two years on from Collectively Strategising Culture we have taken action together in the West Midlands to deliver:
We’ve built capacity, developed knowledge and created resources for us to deliver England’s first sector-led cultural strategy for the West Midlands. As a sector we’ve set out what our priorities are, and we continue to make change in the different contexts we work in, from commercial to social value, as venues, organisations, networks, artists and creatives. Although we all work in different parts of the ecology, we have a shared ambition to create opportunities through culture for the people and places of the West Midlands.
Murmuration 2026 is a space to report back on what we’ve achieved, as well as driving forward our collective impact, innovation and ambition. Through the lens of systems change, together we’ll be exploring what other sectors and leaders have done to innovate with audiences, workforce and equity; to inspire us to realise our collective ambition for the people and places of the West Midlands and take actions back to our work and organisations.
Why Murmuration?
We’ve chosen the theme of Murmuration for our 2026 summit to describe our collective leadership, at different levels and capacities, as a metaphor for our shared regional ambition. Our strength as a region is in our networks, knowledge and support for each other.
Who will be there?
This event is for those leading culture and interested in place-based sector change including CEOs, Executive and Artistic Directors in all scales of organisation, as well as individuals leading change in the sector. For the first time our regional summit is open to those working in other places wanting to learn more about what has been happening in the West Midlands, as well as contribute their learning from their places.
Our definition of leadership at Culture Central is not limited to experience or seniority. We welcome anyone who has an interest in the role of creativity and culture in regional development and strategy.
The summit is our annual members’ conference, developed and guided in partnership with them. We also welcome non-members, affiliates and freelancers.
