Reflecting on a landmark day for Hampshire’s creative, cultural and heritage sectors

On Friday 5 September, we were delighted to welcome over 250 cultural and creative leaders, artists, freelancers, businesses, politicians, funders and stakeholders to the University of Winchester to explore one powerful question: What is our collective vision for culture, creativity, and heritage in Hampshire? This Open Space event offered a place to reflect, connect and imagine possibilities – while considering the role each of us can play in shaping the future of the county’s creative sectors. We are truly grateful for all the energy, ideas and hard work that made the day so impactful.

We would like to extend thanks to Hampshire County Council Leader, Cllr Nick Adams-King, and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Leader, Cllr Dr Paul Harvey, for their inspiring messages of support, challenge and recognition of the value of our sector. Thanks also to Carolyn Abel for highlighting the huge opportunities that Solent and Hampshire working together presents, and to Ginny Graham at Arts Council England for her ongoing support.

A massive thank you to Nick Sweeting for facilitating an outstanding and inspiring Open Space event, and to all the Culture Connects partners who helped make this day happen: Jo Stark and the University of Winchester, Jane Bryant FRSA, Matthew Cleaver, Mark Drury FRSA, Charles Freeman FRSA, Jim Mitchell, Deryck Newland, Sheila Pott, Maria Ragan FRSA, Anooshka Rawden, Mary Swan, Ben Ward FRSA FCIM and Laura Woodward.

We’ve already received many detailed session reports and would love to hear from anyone still planning to share theirs. Soon, we’ll share a link to all the reports gathered from the Open Space session and raw data for everyone to read, reflect on, share and add to. We’ll also spend some time pulling out and distilling strategic themes which will help inform a shared manifesto for culture in the region, and we’ll be sure to keep everyone informed as this work develops.

It was clear that the day created opportunities that went far beyond the central question. If any attendee made new connections, has exciting updates, or simply wants to share feedback on the day, we’d love to hear from you – we can be reached on cultureconnects@hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk

A key theme that emerged from the day was the desire to stay connected. The best way to do this is by signing up to the free Creative Directory here on the Culture Connects website – helping you stay in touch with peers, discover new opportunities and continue the conversations sparked at the event. We’d also love your continued feedback on how the Creative Directory can grow as a valuable tool to support creatives across Hampshire, and we’ll soon be sharing information on how you can feed into this process.

Since the event, we’ve already met with colleagues from Creative Island, Portsmouth Creates and Southampton Forward and we are now planning further collaborative sessions before the end of 2025, followed by mayoral hustings in the new year. Updates on these plans and on networking and future events will continue to be shared via our Facebook and Instagram feeds and will also feature on the Creative Directory.

A heartfelt thank you again to everyone who joined us at this momentous event and to all those who continue to engage with Culture Connects as we work together to shape the future of culture, creativity and heritage in Hampshire.

The team at Culture Connects