An event for CPP participants and creatives to build connections across the wider Creative People and Places network

Saturday 2 March, 10:30am - 16:30pm
Alexon Building, School of Arts and Design, University of Bedfordshire, 40-48 Guildford Street, Luton LU1 2PA

Building creative communities is the key to meaningful and long-term arts engagement. This one-day symposium hosted by Creative People and Places (CPP) network will highlight new and emerging voices and provide a platform for participants and artists to come together and exchange learning as well as build and strengthen connections across the different CPP communities. 

The day will include talks, presentations and workshops, as well as an adapted version of the Long Table Debate, a platform for interactive and participatory dialogue with a mix of provocations, performances and discussion.

This event is being co-produced and programmed by Imrana Mahmood, a participant and creative who has been involved with Revoluton, the CPP project for Luton. She has developed the programme after conversations with participants from across different CPP Places.

The symposium programme will explore the following:

• Overcoming barriers between artists and communities and exploring non-hierarchical models of engagement
• Gaining a deeper understanding of collaboration
• Sharing strategic models and processes for funding and commissioning work
• Understanding and embedding effective language for long-term arts engagement
• Exploring the definition of what is quality art
• Innovative and unconventional approaches to growing and widening audiences
• Exploring the difference between enabling work and making work
• Strengthening authentic diversity within the arts

The programme will draw on expertise from creatives from the CPP network, with a particular focus on ideas inspired by conversations during the event.

Who is it for?

This event is for participants and creatives who have played an active part in their CPP programme, including volunteers,local residents involved in programming and commissioning, commissioned artists and members of the creative teams. This event is not suitable for those working outside of the CPP programme. Places have been allocated via the 21 Creative People and Places projects.

Download the full programme below.