Join Engage and Artworks Alliance in Bristol for a day of peer learning on the topic of power-sharing and power shifting. Stuck operating within unjust power dynamics that disadvantage and disempower individuals and communities? Want to stretch your practice and thinking around co-creation, community-led and socially engaged arts practices? Not sure what any of it means, or how to apply it practically?

In a period shaped by division and uncertainty, how do we sustain the work that holds communities together? ArtWorks Alliance, in partnership with UNION , is ho

In a period shaped by division and uncertainty, how do we sustain the work that holds communities together? ArtWorks Alliance, in partnership with UNION, is hosting Tough Times: A Gathering, a participatory workshop designed to create space for reflection, dialogue, and collective thinking. Using an Open Space format, the day will be shaped by those in the room, enabling shared exploration of the challenges we face and the possibilities ahead.

Participatory Arts has rarely been more needed than in the tough times we are currently experiencing. Artworks Alliance will be holding our first in-person meeting for several years. It is crucial that within this time of fragmentation and division that we come together to share our experiences, frustrations, fears, hopes and strategies and find ways to support each other. This Gathering will be an opportunity for anyone involved in participatory arts, socially engaged practice and creative activism to come together to create a safe space in which we can:

The independent review of Arts Council England (ACE), led by Baroness Margaret Hodge, is now part of the policy landscape in which participatory and community arts will have to operate for the next several years. The review is candid about bureaucracy, uneven cultural investment, weakened local cultural infrastructure, and the need to rebuild trust in the funding system. It also points towards a structural shift, including stronger local and regional decision-making and a more explicit relationship between culture and place.

Participatory Arts has rarely been more needed than in the tough times we are currently experiencing. Artworks Alliance will be holding our its first in-person meeting for several years. It is crucial that within this time of fragmentation and division that we come together to share our experiences, frustrations, fears, hopes and strategies and find ways to support each other.

A recent report commissioned by Arts Council England, Leading the Crowd: A report on the role of public investment in Crowding In, offers compelling evidence that public investment in arts and culture remains essential. It documents how institutions such as the National Theatre, Southbank Centre, and English National Opera have used public grants as leverage to secure significant additional income from private sources.

The Chancellor is reviewing all public spending from scratch. The arts make our lives happier and our communities stronger. Now is the moment to invest in them.

The upcoming BBC Charter Review is an opportunity to transform the BBC into a public service mutual, founded on a genuinely democratic relationship with the public.

The Chancellor is reviewing all public spending from scratch. The arts make our lives happier and our communities stronger. Now is the moment to invest in them.

There are moments in Shakespeare when the illusion of theatre dissolves and something deeper stirs—something that reminds us of our own impermanence, the fragil

Why are we’re drawn to Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man”? Surely not simply for the elegance of its verse? Perhaps for the deeper psychological and symbolic que

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A free-to-access online course to help you understand the principles and master the practice of carrying out evaluation. Developed by the Centre for Cultural Value with the University of Leeds, learners...

Culture is bad for you - Browse and buy the Paperback edition of Culture is bad for you by Orian Brook

How can we talk about the social value of our work? Join our session on March 21st with Social Value Engine to find out more!

Alternate Realities XR Artists Forum is an initiative for XR artists developing a project in the intersection of art, technology and documentary, looking to expand their network and get advice from…

In this episode of the ArtWorks Alliance podcast, Rob Watson is joined by Anna Taylor, co-director at In-Situ Arts, to explore the values, practices, and tensions that shape a long-standing commitment to socially engaged art in Pendle, Lancashire. Their conversation moves beyond familiar labels—community arts, participatory arts, socially engaged practice—to reflect on how creative work unfolds when the emphasis is placed not on definitions, but on attentiveness, process, and the shared experience of place.

In this episode of the ArtWorks Alliance podcast, Rob Watson is joined by Anna Taylor, co-director at In-Situ Arts, to explore the values, practices, and tensions that shape a long-standing commitment to socially engaged art in Pendle, Lancashire. Their conversation moves beyond familiar labels—community arts, participatory arts, socially engaged practice—to reflect on how creative work unfolds when the emphasis is placed not on definitions, but on attentiveness, process, and the shared experience of place.

The publication of Framing the Future: The Political Case for Strengthening the Visual Arts Ecosystem arrives at a pivotal moment for the cultural sector. It sets out an articulate argument for embedding the visual arts more firmly within national policy priorities, positioning them not as an afterthought or adornment, but as a necessary component of how society addresses its wider challenges—from education and mental health to regional inequality and economic growth.

In this episode, host John Coster speaks with Aaron Todd—a youth worker from Leicestershire Cares—about his personal creative journey and how he uses arts-based projects to engage and empower young people. The discussion centres on Aaron’s formative experiences with drawing and music, his time in prison, and the pivotal role creativity played in helping him turn his life around. Now, he channels these insights into his work with at-risk youth, emphasizing the importance of giving them platforms—such as podcasting, music production, and content creation—to express themselves and develop valuable skills.

The latest episode of Spotlight on Arts brings a conversation between John Coster and Sim Mistry of Kala Arts, exploring creativity, community engagement, and the importance of making artistic expression accessible to all. Sim reflects on her journey as a creative practitioner, tracing her early fascination with storytelling and illustration back to childhood summers spent immersed in imaginative worlds. That ability to lose oneself in a creative flow, she explains, is something she strives to help others rediscover, particularly through her work in community workshops.

This edition of Spotlight on Arts features a thoughtful and grounded conversation between John Coster, Rob Watson and their guest Andy Gundelach, a Leicester-based filmmaker and founder of the Film Leicester initiative. As the producer of the programme, what stands out about this episode is its calm but searching tone, offering space for reflection on creative work, education, and the motivations behind building something meaningful in the place you call home.

In this episode of Spotlight on Heritage, John Coster sits down with Thomas Kraus-Weiss, the creative force behind Chi$$it magazine—a print publication that blends streetwear, photojournalism, and reflections on real life from a Gen Z perspective. Alongside returning guest Tina Barton, and hosted by John Costa and Rob Watson, we explore how younger generations are rediscovering physical media and remixing cultural influences to shape a new kind of heritage.