A local What Next? Chapter has just started in Dundee. We went along to The Space at Dundee and Angus College this week where the first conversations for the new Scottish Chapter began.
What Next? is a movement bringing together arts and cultural organisations from across the UK, to articulate, champion and strengthen the role of culture in our society. The aim is to work collaboratively to build alliances outside of the cultural sector, build relationships with local and national government and engage the public in new and different conversations about the arts.
The movement have developed key relationships with local and national government and work closely with national bodies such as the Cultural Learning Alliance, Arts Council and Creative Industries Federation.
Similar to our Fabric Dundee project, the power of the movement is in its people who voluntarily come together and collectively take action around issues that affect everyone. No one is part of What Next? for their own individual agenda but for the issues and challenges that face us all.
If you are interested in taking part in the conversations and want to know when and where the next meeting will be held (potentially in late October), please contact Thomas Small at thomas@shapercaper.com, who offered to be the Chair of the What Next? Dundee group.
Building local ecologies within a national context
On Monday 17 October 2016 What Next? is holding their second national event in Manchester.
The group want interested people to come together nationally to generate ideas, challenges and inspiration that help develop strong local partnerships and relationships with local authorities, communities, educators and commercial bodies.
The event will address a range of topics and keep in mind these three questions:
- How do we change ourselves?
- How do we make the case for the cultural sector?
- How do we enable a fairer society?
Across the event, sessions will place in arts venues across Manchester and will include workshops, round table discussions, talks, Q&A, case study presentations and speed networking. There will be a focus on meeting each other and generating action.
Session topics will include:
- Tomorrow’s leaders
- Sustainability and climate change
- Embracing Brexit
- Devolution – local and regional impact
- Higher education and the arts
- Cultural place-making and developers
- Local Enterprise Partnerships
If you are interested in attending the event click here. Bursaries are available for those who would benefit from financial support in order to attend the event. Information on how to apply for a bursary is available here and the deadline for bursary applications is Monday 19 September.
If you can’t make the event in Manchester, What Next? will be holding remote workshops online, with actions from those sessions feeding into the wider conversation, outcomes and actions. You can find full information about how to join the digital workshops on their website, a little closer to the event. The event will also be livestreamed as much as possible via the website.