Flourish

Sharing insights from a co-produced toolkit which shows how collaborative commissioning builds resilient, inclusive creative ecosystems.

About the event
Flourishing means creating spaces where people feel empowered to share knowledge and act on it. This session will share insights from a new co-produced toolkit developed through five years of research and UK-wide case studies. It highlights how place-based, collaborative and non-extractive approaches to commissioning can support more resilient, inclusive and economically sustainable creative ecosystems.

As funding continues to shift from grants to contracts, the toolkit reimagines commissioning in the cultural sector - offering practical advice, insights and recommendations to help build stronger relationships between policymakers and creative practitioners.

Together, we’ll reflect on this learning and explore how it might translate into our own context in North Derbyshire - considering what feels relevant, what could be adapted, and what actionable next steps might look like locally.

Event details

Date: Friday 17th April 2026

Time: 1:00–4:00pm

Venue: Chesterfield Town Hall, Rose Hill, S40 1LP

Tickets: Free

About Flourish
Flourish is a co-designed initiative bringing together creative practitioners, academics and policymakers to collaborate on place-based cultural development. Their current work is centred in Gateshead, with learning drawn from across the UK. You can find out more here: https://www.flourishgateshead.com/

About the Creative Coalition of North Derbyshire
We are a cross-district network of creative, cultural, community and local authority colleagues, working together to explore how we can better support and grow the creative and cultural sector across our ex-industrial, semi-rural region.