In 2017 Arts Council England’s Deputy Chief Executive Simon Mellor indicated that Arts Council strategy is likely to move from “great art for everyone” to “great art with everyone”. With increasing emphasis from funders for organisations to demonstrate community engagement in their work, join Young People In The Arts for a workshop with pioneers of best practice community engagement, exploring how to successfully bring together artistic excellence and social engagement.

We’ll examine why meaningful engagement with communities is crucial for a healthy arts sector, share and compare approaches to engagement in the arts across organisations, and provide invaluable insights and expert advice on funders’ changing approach to engagement and how this can impact your own projects.

We are thrilled that the following speakers will be joining us for the event: 

• Beccy Allen, Head of Creative Learning at Half Moon Theatre
• Katherine Igoe-Ewer, Local Producer at The Yard Theatre
• Daisy Swift, Learning Director at Wigmore Hall

The speakers will share their own experiences and successes of community engagement, followed by an opportunity for group discussion and questions.

The discussion will be followed by networking drinks at the Arcola Bar. 

Beccy Allen has worked in creative learning in London for more than ten years and is currently the Head of Creative Learning at Half Moon Theatre having previously been the Creative Director of Southwark Theatres’ Education Partnership (STEP). Beccy’s expertise lies in creating programmes that respond to schools’ and families’ changing needs, impact measurement procedures, access and inclusion and practitioner mentoring. For a number of years, Beccy facilitated the Participatory Arts London Network (a network of more than 200 arts organisations and 250 freelance artists) and is now on the steering committee. Beccy is also Chair of Tangled Feet theatre company and a Western Sahara activist, having recently taken a sabbatical to work as a volunteer in the Western Sahara Refugee Camps in Algeria.