Let’s look at it differently
A different perspective...
17th August 2022
We are always keen to help communities use new ways to talk about what matters to them. Working with Cumbria-based poet and author, Zosia Wand, to ‘play-back’ conversations about what the landscape of the Solway Coast means to residents there, brought new life into this conversation. Ten beautiful poems were created, to be shared a treasured by the community – and to share their passion with Natural England and the Solway Coast AONB as important local partners. You can see the complete collection on our Working with Art webpage.
With funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation we are able to offer extra support for creative community planning, until April 2024. For a handful of communities, we will be able to pay for creative engagement techniques, beyond the scope of the normal community planning budget.
Now is an important time for communities to be planning ahead and agreeing their priorities. ACT has a comprehensive library of community planning resources for you to use, and a record of many of the community and parish plans completed in the County, for reference and inspiration. Our guidance says that you should use at least three different ways to reach people in your community, making a genuine effort to engage people who may not be able to attend a public meeting, or who would not respond to an online survey. Why not try something completely different? We will happily support you as you work out what is the best approach for your community or your particular issue.
Some of the ideas we have for looking at things differently include using theatre, visual arts and audio adventures to add to our success with words and poetry. These techniques might appeal to parts of your community who are not likely to give you their views in more traditional consultation, so it could be worth a try. They will give you different insights and memorable shared experiences in your community.
Please make contact if you’re interested in working with professional creative people to add a new dimension to our community conversations, or your tricky issues. We will be showcasing examples and opportunities over the next few months, but would love to hear from you if you have an idea. Of course, if you are a creative person looking to help communities express themselves, it would be fun to hear from you too!