This is an Open Invitation to all creative practitioners, artists, cultural organisations, heritage professionals and other people involved in making, sharing or supporting culture across the West of England area.

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and Arts Council England (ACE) are jointly funding the development of a Cultural Strategy for the region and have appointed FEI to undertake this work on behalf of key stakeholders in the region, including the four local authorities and four universities.

The West of England Cultural Strategy will provide a regional framework for culture with a joint vision and plan to support inclusive economic growth, make the most of the region’s opportunities and address its challenges. The strategy will cover the Local Enterprise Partnership area of Bristol, Bath & North-East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, so please come prepared to think beyond the place where you live, work or play.

We are planning a series of workshops across the region in order to provide the opportunity for people to share their plans and ambitions, contribute ideas, identify gaps and celebrate good practice from across the sector and from across the region. The workshops will be run as world-café events so that everyone will have the chance to be creative, connect with others and collaborate.

The workshops are tailored around different themes relevant to the Creative and Cultural Sector:

Platforms, Spaces and Networks
Wed 30 January 2019
09.30-12.30
South Gloucestershire, venue TBC
Where is Culture shared and shaped? Venues, Spaces, Places, Festivals, Networks, Local Partnerships, Live/ Digital

Investment, Profile and Growth
Wed 30 January 2019
14.30-17.30
Bath
What’s the ambition? How do we start-up, sustain/get bigger/better; leverage, profile, resources, national/international partners/links.

Creativity, Innovation and Talent
Thursday 31 January 2019
09.30-12.30
Bristol
Supporting ideas and those that make them happen. Artists, creatives, curators, producers, young people, new talent, established talent, skills, education, professional development.

People, Place and Purpose
Thursday 31 January 2019
14.30-17.30
Weston-super-Mare
What is Culture for? Thinking about the people (audiences, participants) and places shaped and changed by culture – tourism, heritage, quality of life, wellbeing.

Please feel free to attend more than one workshop, if you would like - if numbers are limited then we will come back to confirm a preference.