In this episode, Dr Kay Hepplewhite speaks with Emma Horsman, Project Director at The Cultural Spring, about community participation, creative opportunities and the role of local people in shaping arts and culture across Sunderland.

They dive deep into the local theatre ecology and discuss:

• How The Cultural Spring works with communities to make arts and culture more accessible, bringing creative activities into familiar local spaces and removing barriers to participation.
• The importance of building trust, developing confidence and giving people opportunities to discover and explore their own creativity.
• How programmes such as Go and See, Space to Create, Bite Size and Nibbles support community-led projects, partnerships and the development of new work.
• The value of co-creation, where local people help shape the work and artists develop meaningful, lasting relationships with communities.
• The challenges of sustaining community projects, developing audiences and creating pathways for people to continue participating in theatre and the arts.

They conclude with a discussion on what Sunderland needs to support a thriving creative sector, including funding, space, better promotion, audience development and a more joined-up cultural strategy.

This conversation is part of Local Theatres: Participation, Inclusion, Imagination, an AHRC-funded research project exploring the people, places and practices that shape local theatre.

Find out more:

localtheatres.wordpress.com

theculturalspring.org