ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What if local people didn’t just get asked what they thought about culture, but had a real say in shaping what happens next?
Join Community Innovation Practitioner Dr Claire Tymon from the University of Huddersfield in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, as she explores how local people can play a bigger role in the cultural life of the places where they live.
As part of her research, Claire is developing and testing Culture Labs - welcoming spaces bringing residents, artists, community organisations, businesses and public services together to share ideas and influence local cultural action.
Hear voices from across Kirklees about the barriers to taking part in cultural life and having a say in the decisions that shape it. From Ashbrow to Marsden, discover how listening, film and storytelling are starting conversations about culture, identity and belonging.
Kirklees is rich in creativity, talent and local knowledge. Claire shares what the Culture Labs pilot has taught the team about trust, shared ownership and why genuine co-creation means going beyond one-off consultation and giving local people a bigger role in shaping the future of culture where they live.
Chapters
[00:00] – Welcome to Creative Communities
[02:17] – Culture Labs: putting communities into cultural decision-making
[06:00] – Belonging, access and whose voices shape culture
[14:30] – Developing the Culture Labs model
[16:54] – Testing Culture Labs across four Kirklees neighbourhoods
[20:17] – Co-design, storytelling and learning through doing
[23:23] – Taking Culture Labs into public spaces
[28:46] – Different ways to participate and have a voice
[30:43] – From consultation to cultural democracy
Useful links & further reading
About Dr Claire Tymon’s Creative Communities research, including case study and policy paper – here
Explore the AHRC Creative Communities Programme – here
Special thanks & credits
Special thanks to the communities, creative practitioners and partners across Kirklees who contributed to the research and this episode.
About the series
The Creative Communities Podcast shares stories from across the UK exploring how devolution, culture and creativity can unlock inclusive innovation and place-based growth.
Across Series 2, you’ll hear how communities, researchers and cross-sector partners are working together to co-create culture and innovation across the UK’s devolved nations and regions.
Credits
Creative Communities is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council UK (Grant Agreement No AH/X001555/1 and hosted by Northumbria University.
With podcast production and training from MIC media.
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