Embracing Possibilities is a paid peer-led professional development project for 10 artists and arts workers from marginalised and underrepresented communities* based in the North West who are passionate about climate justice, place-making and health or wellbeing and would like to grow their local networks.
Organised by CVAN England’s Fair and Equitable programme and CVAN North West, Embracing Possibilities involved skills-sharing at an in person day-long gathering in Blackpool on Tuesday 16 August and a follow-up online session in Autumn 2022.
Artists and arts workers at any stage in their career interested in peer-exchange and peer-learning were asked to respond with an expression of interest.
*We define artists and artsworkers from marginalised and underrepresented communities as especially those from Global Ethnic Majority backgrounds, those who identify as D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+ and from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The in person gathering in Blackpool on Tuesday 16 August focused on skills-sharing and peer-learning, with participants sharing skills, knowledge, experience and insights with each other in order to develop stronger local and regional networks. Groups were also offered the opporunity to have a further follow-up online session in Autumn 2022 focusing on the North West context and the development of their own local networks.
CVAN North West is currently developing a stronger voice across the agendas of climate justice, place-making and health and wellbeing and we aim to develop further opportunities to bring the cohort’s voices into CVAN North West’s work with the newly appointed creative producers.
Participants were paid £200 for participation at the in person gathering in Blackpool and £200 for participation at the follow-up online session.
Embracing Possibilities was part of the pilot year (September 2021- September 2022) of CVAN England’s Fair and Equitable programme and in response to the programme’s report ‘Fostering Equity in the Visual Arts’ that highlighted the importance of self-organised professional development activity, particularly peer networks, for artists and arts workers.
