A Future for Culture

Professional Development Programme

Great Place: Lakes and Dales, in partnership with 64 Million Artists, are running an innovative and exciting professional development programme for cultural organisations based in the area; 'A Future for Culture'.

Ten organisations from across the Lakes and Dales are currently engaged in a professional
development programme with Great Place: Lakes and Dales and 64 Million Artists. September saw the second installment of this programme, during which each organisation develops new ways to embed participation and cultural democracy within their everyday practice.

During September’s workshop the group was joined by Fran from Museums Northumberland Bait, a Creative People and Places project entering its seventh year to inspire the group on the importance of building relationships over time.

The next workshop will be over two-days in November and the organisations are beginning to plan their own interventions or projects in which to start implementing what they’ve learnt.

This programme will be rooted in the concept of Cultural Democracy, more information of which can be found in the report published in September 2018, ‘Cultural Democracy in Practice’. This programme is the first of its kind and organisations in the Lakes and Dales have the opportunity to lead the way.

First event

The programme will begin with a Future-Scoping event on 16 May 2019 (10am - 4pm)

The event will include:

  • Understanding the needs of organisations
  • Mapping the current picture for young people in the local area
  • Introduction to Cultural Democracy
  • Understanding the barriers to working in this way
  • Early co-design of programme

This Future-Scoping event will be followed by a co-designed development programme of Future-Proofing for all attending organisations, this means you will be involved in how the training is shaped so that it meet the needs of your organisation.

Subsequent programme

The main programme will take place over 6-9 months

Exact dates to be decided collectively but will be before the end of March 2020

The programme will cover:

  • Workshops
  • Peer mentoring
  • Remote coaching
  • Action learning

Due to the nature of this training and development programme, places are limited and by attending the initial Future-Scoping event you are committing to taking part in the whole programme.

This will involve making changes within your organisation, so we ask that the person who attends the training programme is someone who is able to action change, ideally part of the management team.

If you have any questions regarding the programme, please get in touch with Emily Wilson at create@lakesanddales.org