Consensus Workshop - #3 Notes

Identifying our Strategic Direction

Dates: 22 January 2020, download a copy of the consensus workshop notes (PDF) [469KB]  or view the notes below.

Celebrating the arts, by taking creative risks/ Town into city/ Forever "Prestoning - Preston Creates

Risk taking/ subverting

• Acceptance of reality!
• Understanding Motivations 
• Edgy i.e.. grime scene, underground techno 

Celebrating

• Big Preston Festival (theatre, dance, film, art, nature, music) 
• Festival of E-Making. E-sport, craft, food and beer and gaming 
• Massive competition with a mega prize 
• Paint Preston 
• Annual Celebration: social gathering, awards 
• Guild celebration: makers, designers
• Arts Trail Preston and beyond across county 
• Build on existing initiatives e.g.. Arts Festival

Prestoning

• Giant egg to roll
• Preston multi-year large HLF bid £1m+ 
• Preston Holiday week in Guild Year 
• Infrastructure Preston Creative Model
• Hub
• Guilds Arts Website or app (survey)
• Preston Arts & Culture Lottery Funding for opportunities

Connecting people, skills, knowledge and events in order to create a harmonious, collaborative and enjoyable city

Communicating

• Centralised funded database website
• Gate Keeper Advocate / broker / database / listing / communication / subscription funded
• Integration of university and city
• Map assets. Identify resources > Connect to requirements
• An online hub and library of knowledge & resources
• Central communication to general public. Accessibility & affordability

• Cross Arts networking. Business advice. Like this event

Exploring / Listening

• Research - Ask people how they see Preston culture
• Reach out to retail. Business interest groups. Vol Arts
• Create focal groups - at which PAA is one
• Promotion of sector and what it contributes. Preston Creative Model
• People Power - Collective ownership. Guild Hall

Including / Encouraging / Nurturing

• A fully inclusive arts in education policy. Arts as a human right. Mobile art gallery (outreach programme)
• Involvement of more young people in the arts
• Regular art & cultural activities for young people / all people and inclusive of minorities and under-represented

Learning / Linking / Joining / Exchanging

• Twinning and learning from other cities. Sharing best practice
• Inter-generational monitoring system and organisations buddying
• Increase confidence. International festival. Preston cultural exchange

Developing routes to independent financial sustainability 

Resourcing / Structuring

• A group of people dedicated to seeking out funding
• Funding. Collaborative and communicate to maximise bids
• Cultural thematic working group

Unlocking space for culture and arts in Preston

• Unlock unused space / policy
• To create physical network - citizens advice bureau for arts
• Opening up empty spaces (unusual)
• Consortium funding for building
• Capital bid - buy the Guild Hall

Occupying / Commandeering

• Squat a community building. Long term
• Guild Hall Central arts space
• Reuse heritage buildings.  Guild Hall. Arts Hub / centre e.g. The Storey House, Chester, The Storey, Lancaster
• Multi-purpose arts centre including info hub (Harris Institute)
• Big space. Small space. Physical / virtual. Private sector - LA - Guild Hall