With the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol visiting Pontypridd, community arts organisations Citrus Arts (Hopkinstown), People Speak Up (Llanelli), Tanio (Bettws, Bridgend), YMa (Pontypridd) and the cultural digital platform AM have today announced the first steps of the journey of a new community arts network. The network will explore how shared learning, shared resource and shared principles can strengthen community arts and related organisations in Wales.
Following the results of last year’s Arts Council Investment Review, the five Network partners began to talk about how collaboration could happen. Linked by four physical spaces and one digital space, the five over the course of the last few months have visited each other’s organisations and spent time learning about each other’s work, and over numerous cups of tea discussed the values they all shared, their concerns and how best to thrive in challenging times. This led to the realisation that a local, non-competitive, supportive network could both strengthen and change organisations and communities; and this is where the journey now begins.
The network will now be meeting regularly to explore a variety of opportunities and challenges guided by some key principles:
-
Demonstrating the value of community arts
-
Providing a space for collaboration, sharing and peer support
-
Exploring new ways of working in which respective communities and contributors can come together to create
-
Documenting, promoting and engaging digitally
-
Ensuring non-extractive practice that will establish equitable relationships, helping to tackle resource and funding challenges
The journey will be documented so learnings can be shared with others, perhaps leading to other similar local networks in other parts of Wales.
More information about the five members, along with their full Summer programme of activities, can be found below: