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Artworks Alliance

Artworks Alliance

Written by: Artworks Alliance
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 The mission of ArtWorks Alliance is simple: better participatory arts encompassing all art forms, ways of working, settings and purposes. We’re a network, not an organisation. We get together at (virtual) Forums to discuss and action what needs doing to make a difference in participatory arts. ArtWorks Alliance work doesn’t get in the way of the day job: it IS the day job. Being a member helps you be better connected, not busier. As one of our longer standing members said: Art Entertainment & Performing Arts Social Sciences
Episodes
  • ArtWorks Alliance Podcast – Holding the Space for Emergent Arts

    ArtWorks Alliance Podcast – Holding the Space for Emergent Arts
    Apr 29 2025

    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.

    Anna begins by describing her own journey into In-Situ, a process marked by a shift from communications work to what she now sees as a more reflective practice of “holding space.” This concept becomes a recurring touchstone throughout the conversation. Rather than directing outcomes or designing projects to fit institutional frameworks, Anna speaks of creating space in which others can bring themselves fully into a process. That space, she explains, is not neutral—it carries the tension of different values, expectations, and lived experiences—but it offers a way of working that invites something meaningful to emerge.

    The idea of emergence runs deeply through In-Situ’s practice. Drawing on metaphors of scattering seeds or cultivating soil, Anna talks about making room for the unknown, and recognising that not all growth is predictable or harmonious. The organisation’s embedded approach is not about parachuting in with solutions, nor about producing cultural outputs to meet external agendas. It is grounded instead in long-term presence, reciprocity, and dialogue with the people who live and work in Pendle. For In-Situ, place is not simply a backdrop, but an active participant in shaping what is possible.

    This orientation extends to how In-Situ defines itself as an organisation. Eschewing traditional hierarchies, the team describes itself as a group of co-directors with a fluid structure and consensus-based decision-making. Anna reflects on the importance of this approach in ensuring that the work remains connected to the people and context it serves. It also demands a high degree of self-awareness, particularly around power, voice, and representation. In-Situ’s code of ethics, developed early in its history, remains a vital reference point for navigating these complexities.

    Rob and Anna also discuss how socially engaged art can resist the dominant narratives of the creative industries. In-Situ’s work is not driven by metrics of success, spectacle, or exportable cultural products. Instead, it values the quiet, sometimes invisible labour of relationships, the incremental shifts in confidence or connection, and the shared acts of making, talking, and thinking together. This includes work with groups like Mums to Mums, a longstanding collective of local women who have come to see their everyday creativity—through food, home-making, and care—as part of a broader artistic life.

    Rather than offering a model to be replicated elsewhere, Anna suggests that the work of In-Situ points to the value of unique responses in unique contexts. What might be transferable, however, is the spirit of inquiry, the refusal to settle for easy categories, and the emphasis on cultural democracy as a lived, negotiated process. The conversation often returns to the idea of not knowing—of making space for difference and dissonance without needing to resolve it.

    Throughout, Anna resists simplifications. Whether discussing the role of artists, the language of participation, or the legacy of Pendle’s history—including its association with the persecution of women during the witch trials—she brings a nuanced and grounded perspective to how creative practice can both reflect and shape the cultural life of a place. The conversation is not about outcomes or models, but about ongoing processes of listening, adapting, and caring—for one another, for place, and for the possibilities that emerge when we give space to what matters.

    To listen to the full conversation with Anna Taylor, visit artworksalliance.uk or subscribe to the podcast via your usual platform.

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • ArtWorks Alliance Podcast – Justin O’Connor Culture is Not an Industry

    ArtWorks Alliance Podcast – Justin O’Connor Culture is Not an Industry
    Apr 3 2025
    In this conversation, Rob Watson speaks with cultural policy thinker and writer Justin O’Connor about the ideas behind his book Culture is Not an Industry, and what they mean for artists, policymakers and communities engaged in participatory and community-based practice. They begin by locating the personal and political moment from which the book emerged. Justin is Professor of Cultural Economy at the University of South Australia. Justin reflects on his early experiences in Manchester’s music and cultural scenes in the 1980s and 1990s, and how what once seemed like a hopeful model for urban renewal and creative regeneration slowly became absorbed into a more instrumental, economised framework—one that often sidelined the very cultural values and community aspirations it was supposed to promote. As Rob notes, the book resonates because it feels like a reckoning with a story many of us have lived through: the promise that culture could transform lives and places, followed by a sense that this promise was hollowed out by managerialism, short-termism and the shift towards “creative industries” as a catch-all policy tool. Justin and Rob discuss what are the consequences of treating culture as a sector rather than a shared space of meaning-making? How did the language of economic growth and innovation come to dominate the ways we talk about and support cultural work? Throughout the conversation, there’s an insistence on slowing down and paying attention to the terms we use. Justin talks about the disappearance of the word “art” in cultural policy documents, replaced by more marketable language like “creative” or “innovation.” What gets lost in that substitution? Who benefits when symbolic and expressive practices are reframed as drivers of economic productivity? And how do these shifts affect the conditions in which participatory and community artists are expected to work? Rob shares his own experience of cultural education and media production, noting the tensions between artistic expression and technical skill, and the way institutional boundaries often reinforce unhelpful distinctions. In thinking through these tensions, the discussion returns to the need to recognise artistic practice as something distinct—not because it is elite or rarefied, but because it speaks to human meaning, ritual, imagination, and collective life. Why do we continue to undervalue this, particularly when it comes to participatory forms of practice that emerge from people’s everyday lives and experiences? There’s a shared frustration with the instrumentalisation of art as a tool for solving social problems that originate elsewhere in society. The pressure to prove impact—to deliver measurable outcomes—risks displacing the deeper, slower processes through which culture supports social connection, identity, and reflection. What does it mean to create spaces where people can explore, make, and share cultural expression without the expectation of economic return or social improvement? Can we reimagine cultural policy not as an investment strategy, but as a form of care? Justin introduces the idea of the foundational economy as a way of rethinking the role of culture in society—not as an industry, but as part of the everyday infrastructure of life, alongside education, health and housing. Culture, in this framing, is a shared resource that needs maintenance, support, and access for all. If we approached cultural provision in this way, what would it look like? How might this affect how we fund, organise, and talk about participatory and community-based work? The conversation doesn’t shy away from the structural challenges—precarity, underfunding, and the dominance of digital platforms that commodify attention and narrow our imaginative horizons. But there’s also a steady thread of care, curiosity and commitment to finding new ways of coming together. Where are the spaces where people can meet, talk, and make meaning beyond the metrics? What forms of local cultural infrastructure need to be rebuilt or reimagined? How can we sustain those practices that don’t show up in economic data, but matter deeply to people’s sense of self and connection? By the end of the discussion, the focus returns to people: to the artists, organisers and communities who continue to work in difficult conditions, holding open the space for cultural expression that is rooted, accessible, and transformative. It’s not a question of saving the sector, but of asking what kind of cultural life we want to build, and how we can care for the conditions that make it possible. Source
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • ArtWorks Alliance Podcast with Kate Stanley Frameworks UK

    ArtWorks Alliance Podcast with Kate Stanley Frameworks UK
    Mar 3 2025

    What makes a story resonate? How do we communicate the value of participatory arts in ways that build public understanding and policy support? These were some of the key questions explored in the latest ArtWorks Alliance podcast, featuring a conversation between Rob Watson and Kate Stanley of FrameWorks UK.

    Kate, Director of FrameWorks UK, introduced the organisation’s work in evidence-based communication strategies. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on intuition, FrameWorks UK applies rigorous research to understand how people think about social issues and how different narratives can shape attitudes, policies, and action. The conversation delved into why framing matters, particularly for participatory and community arts.

    The Power of Framing: Moving Beyond Intuition

    One of the central insights Kate shared was the importance of treating communication as a science rather than a gut-driven exercise. Using examples from previous research, she illustrated how changing the way we discuss issues can shift public perceptions. For instance, FrameWorks UK’s work on childhood obesity revealed that the phrase itself triggered blame-focused narratives about poor parenting. However, reframing the discussion around children’s health and food helped to centre the conversation on systemic solutions rather than individual responsibility.

    For participatory arts practitioners and advocates, this insight is particularly relevant. Too often, the arts are framed in economic terms, with policymakers and funders asking about financial returns rather than social and cultural impact. Kate emphasised the need to lead with values—whether it’s about the importance of human potential, community well-being, or creativity as a public good—before getting into specifics about individual projects or funding.

    A New Approach to Arts Advocacy

    Rob and Kate explored how these framing strategies could be applied to participatory arts. Too often, community arts are positioned as a secondary or ‘nice-to-have’ aspect of cultural policy, rather than being recognised as essential to social cohesion, public health, and democratic engagement. If we want to shift this perception, we need to rethink how we communicate about the role of the arts in everyday life.

    Kate highlighted how narratives that focus solely on individual creativity or personal well-being can sometimes backfire, making participatory arts seem like a luxury rather than a necessity. Instead, framing participatory arts as a collective and structural necessity—one that benefits public life in the same way as education or healthcare—can help strengthen the case for long-term support and investment.

    Building Consistent and Unified Messaging

    Another key takeaway from the conversation was the importance of consistency in messaging. Too often, the participatory arts sector is fragmented, with organisations using different languages to make similar arguments. Kate advised that a stronger and more unified approach—one that consistently reinforces the same values—would help amplify the impact of advocacy efforts.

    Rob noted that one of the challenges participatory arts faces is that it doesn’t fit neatly into existing policy frameworks. Unlike the creative industries, which are well-defined in economic terms, community-led and participatory arts operate in a more decentralised and diverse way. The challenge, then, is to frame this diversity as a strength rather than a weakness, reinforcing its role in fostering social connection, civic engagement, and collective creativity.

    What’s Next?

    The conversation between Rob and Kate highlighted the urgent need for a reframed approach to advocacy in participatory arts. By shifting the narrative, focusing on values, and maintaining consistency in messaging, we can build stronger public and policy support for participatory arts.

    ArtWorks Alliance is committed to continuing this conversation and working with partners to develop new ways of communicating the value of participatory and community arts. If you’re interested in being part of this discussion, we’d love to hear from you.

    Listen to the full podcast episode and explore more about how framing can transform the way we communicate about participatory arts.

    Join the conversation. Share your thoughts. Let’s shape the future of participatory arts together.

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    56 mins
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