What is it?
Funded by the Arts Council of Wales, this is a free-to-access strategic development opportunity for arts leaders who want to have better, and more meaningfully, engage with the people and communities they serve.

It builds on the Designing Public Value with Purpose resource commissioned by Arts Council of Wales and developed by Lisa Baxter, Founder of The Experience Business.

The programme will draw on Lisa’s distinctive ideas and processes that inspire more rooted and equitable community engagement and her extensive experience of putting these into practice in remote and regional Australia, Norway and the UK.

Context
The Arts Council of Wales Corporate Plan “For the Benefit of All” has a clear commitment to equality of opportunity, and for the arts to be widely and easily available to everyone. Key to this is the arts sector widening engagement with its communities across Wales in an inclusive, meaningful and transformative way.

We are facing a number of challenges together as a society, creating difficult and desperate times for many of us. Change is upon us, and as an arts sector we must respond to this and support our communities as best we can.

We are pleased to fund this programme which will build on work already carried out by Lisa Baxter in Wales, and which will help equip the sector to play a key role in the wellbeing of their communities at this crucial time in our collective history.

How does it work?
This virtual programme, developed and facilitated by Lisa Baxter, consists of seven virtual seminars of up to 2 hours in length, between May and July together with 1-2-1 sessions.

The programme will include:

• Fresh frameworks and processes
• Depth-charge conversation starters
• Group discussions
• Case studies
• Guest speakers
• Thought pieces and journaling
• Exercises to share with colleagues

Designed to be simple-yet-deep, light-touch-yet-impactful, participants will take part in in-depth discussions designed to nurture peer learning, push boundaries, and extend thinking. Lisa’s intention is that participants will find the experience clarifying, affirming and potentially transformative.

All sessions will have simultaneous translation available. BSL is also available for those who need it.

Who is it for?
Up to sixteen arts leaders who have responsibility for the strategic direction of their organisation. Creu Cymru are facilitating the programme in partnership with Lisa Baxter, on behalf of the Arts Council of Wales. This programme is for both Creu Cymru members and non-members. You could be a theatre, producing company, arts organisation, community arts, museum or heritage or music venue. If you aren’t sure if this is right for you get in touch!

What does it involve?
All you need to do is show up, take part and be generous and open with your contribution to the discussions.

It is important that all those who take part embrace peer-learning ethos by committing their skills, expertise, perspectives and wisdom to all seminars.

There will also be optional thought-pieces and exercises that will enable you to situate the subject of each seminar within your own organisational context. As part of the learning process, we invite everyone to find the time to engage with these exercises and journal their thoughts. The more you put into this, the more you will get out.

You will also receive exercises with instructions on how to facilitate them with your teams to apply and anchor the learning.

Alongside Lisa, you will be joined by guest speakers at the sessions.

How do I get on board?
If you are interested in taking part, please submit short answers to the following questions (using the link below), together with your organisational mission and values, to yvonne@creucymru.com by Friday 28th April midday. (https://forms.gle/utsMDTHZ7g1hMPuF8)

• In what ways are you already thinking about extending your reach and deepening your community engagement? Max 150 words
• What specific challenges/opportunities are you encountering? Max 150 words
• Which elements of the programme do you believe relate to the above? Max 150 words
• What are your underpinning principles behind inclusive practice? Max 150 words

Please also let us know if you require translation from Welsh – English

Please let us know if you have any access requirements.

If you have any questions about programme, please email any questions to yvonne@creucymru.com

Schedule (you must be available for all the below sessions):

Weekly Friday 10am-12pm over Zoom.
19th May
26th May
9th June
16th June
23rd June
30th June
14th July

Modules
1.  Taking the Pulse
Here we will explore the concept of Public Value and the impact of recent political, economic, and societal disruptions on your community engagement ambitions and capacity to deliver.

2.  Relevance
Here, we will begin exploring how developing an astute, coherent world view (from the global to the hyper local) can result in a strategic intent that is more meaningful and relevant to the people and communities you serve.

3.  Networks
Here, we will explore the power of networks to extend reach, increase impact and strengthen resilience.

4.  Power
Here, we will explore concepts around power dynamics, self-determination, and cultural democracy to stretch our thinking around what achieving public value with our communities might look like.

5.  The Difference You Want to Make
Here, we explore questions around value, impact, ‘mattering’ and what your cause for action might be, and discuss them within the context of the Arts Council of Wales Corporate Plan.

6.  Adaptive Capacity
Here, we will explore what is happening ‘to’ and ‘in’ your organisation, and within this context, what it would take to deliver on your ambition, and how to integrate it into current practice – more of the same, tinkering around the edges, new and different, or doing less, better?

7.  Plenary
Here, the cohort will share their Theory of Change based on the insights from the programme and how this aligns with the published priorities of the Arts Council of Wales.

Lisa Baxter
Lisa is the founder of The Experience Business with a mission to help arts, cultural and heritage organisations to fully realise their potential value for the people and communities they serve. All her work is collaborative, working with organisations internationally to stimulate fresh, brave thinking and practice. This has seen her deliver transformative public value programmes for the Australian Council for the Arts, Arts Council Wales, the City of Bergen Municipality, Rhondda Cynon Taf Borough Council, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and The Point and Berry Theatres, Eastleigh.

Here is what organisations have said about working with Lisa:
“Lisa is excellent at coaching, promoting, and challenging us in the workshops, which helps us to understand and ‘own’ the work that we are doing. She also has a good understanding of the venues and the context in which we work in Wales, which is good because some external courses don’t feel like they are tailored for us"

Sharon Casey, Theatres Development Manager at Theatrau Sir Gar:
“Working with Lisa has been transformational because it gave us the tools to analysis, reflect, discuss and implement solutions that came from us and worked for us. The process is powerful because it provides a foundation to build on rather than a cosmetic face lift or fancy apron onto existing practice.”

Dave Baxter, Theatre Manager at Borough Theatre Abergavenny:
“Thank you so much for giving us the insight, understanding and knowledge to explore our public value with our community. It has been a wonderful programme and we have really valued your challenge, support and nurturing, as well as shared learning and experiences. Onwards we go”!

Caroline O’Neill I Strategic Arts & Culture Manager I Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council:
“Our work with Lisa has been invaluable in supporting our journey of discovering on what Civic Engagement means to us and our city. The key to success here is Lisa’s international expertise and rigorous processes to empower organisations to discover their social/cultural pathway for development. She made it her business to really understand us, inspiring and challenging our professional thinking and practice which has enabled us to create foundations for significant change”. 

Rebecca Ross-Williams I Former Theatre and Community Director I Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse:
“Working with Lisa has been revolutionary for our organisation and for me personally. The picture in the organisation is complex and working with Lisa has enabled me to unlock and drive my thinking forward, channelling my instincts and my creativity. Lisa went above and beyond in supporting me through this process and its an experience that will stay with me for a long time”. 

Charlotte Hall I Creative Director I The Point and Berry Theatres, Eastleigh