With the creativity of communities finally becoming a policy priority, arts organisations could be handing more control over to their communities. Adam Pushkin explains why – and how – that could work.
Arts Council England’s new strategy, Let’s Create, sets out a new direction for the arts and a challenge to most of the sector. Building on the initiatives like Creative People and Places, Fun Palaces and others, it implies a radical shift in perceptions and a blurring of the lines between artist, audience and community.
Now, as we start to imagine a post-pandemic cultural sector, there’s a chorus of voices urging us to ‘build back better’, calling for institutions to genuinely value... more
Cultural democracy is not in the gift of most cultural institutions, but that doesn’t mean there’s no role for them, says Anne Torreggiani.
Power has always resided in the hands of the few and in this moment of crisis it is time to fundamentally change the rules of the game to achieve cultural democracy, says Kully Thiarai.
What happens when you put communities in charge of their own creative projects? Ryan Herman found out how residents, rather than local politicians, are making their communities better places to live.
Could an Ambassadors Scheme offer a way of better connecting theatres with their local communities? Hardish Virk has seen positive results in South Asian communities.
Adopting a creative approach to tackle opening in a Covid-safe environment could give venues the edge and help them come out the other side. David Dunstan shares some successful strategies.