2025/6 Commission – Cultural Barter Pilot

Lung and a Half Full Theatre were supported by a Creative Commission in 2025/6 to deliver a pilot Cultural Barter project. The project began with an ambitious idea to bring the European tradition of Cultural Barter to the New Forest and introduce it to a local audience. The aim was not only to test whether the model could work in this context, but also to see whether it could take root, whether communities would respond, participatein it.

From the outset, the project lead set out across the Waterside and the wider New Forest, meeting groups where they already gathered. Early in the year, small “Initial Barter” sessions began to take shape: first with Waterside Arts in Dibden, then with Waterside Adult Theatre, and later with participants at CODA in “From Story to Song” workshops led by another local artist. These early encounters were exploratory, intimate, and often experimental. Each one helped refine the explanation of Cultural Barter, a concept unfamiliar to most, and each one revealed something new about how people might share their skills, stories, and cultural “nuggets” with one another.

As the weeks went on, the network grew. Conversations with Waterside Arts deepened into collaboration. A meeting with an artist in Ringwood opened doors to new creative circles. Along the way, connections were made with the New Forest Ukrainian Group, Fordingbridge Storytelling Circle, Achoiring Voices, and others who expressed interest in future exchanges. What began as a trial quickly became a web of emerging relationships.

The project built towards a single moment: a final Cultural Barter event at St George’s Hall in Calshot on 22 March 2026. Sixteen people attended. For some, it was the first time they had ever presented a skill or cultural offering in public. The atmosphere was warm, curious, and gently brave. Music and in particular, the accordion, became the thread that stitched the event together, while homemade soup acted as a social anchor, drawing people into conversation and shared experience.

Participants described the event as uplifting, surprising, and communal. Several spoke about being pushed out of their comfort zones in a positive way; others marvelled at discovering hidden talents within their neighbours. One person wrote, “We need more of this. It made me brave.” Another said, “Revealing talent in quiet places.”

Behind the scenes, the project lead reflected on their learning, about facilitation, about producing a barter event in a UK setting, and about the balance between structure and spontaneity that Cultural Barter requires. The process highlighted the value of working with a co‑facilitator, the importance of logistical support, and the power of simple communal elements like food and music. It also revealed the challenge of explaining Cultural Barter to newcomers, a skill that improved steadily over the course of the project.

By the end, it was clear that Cultural Barter had resonated with the people it reached and the project demonstrated that the model is viable, that communities are eager for this kind of exchange, and that there is appetite for more. Interest has already grown beyond the Waterside, reaching into the wider New Forest and further afeild.

Looking ahead, the project lead intends to build on this momentum. The first trial has become a starting point for a growing movement of shared culture, creativity, and community connection.

You can read more about the concept of Cultural Barters here: CULTURAL BARTERS — U.S. Department of Arts and Culture