Partners

Mira Kaushik

Creative Development Network Partner

Mira Kaushik has been creating, producing and directing work since 2000.

After stepping down from Akademi in 2023, she has decided to focus her attentions on developing South Asian creativity in the outdoor arts sector.

Mira noticed a lack of presence of the South Asian performing arts companies and individual artists programmed in outdoor festivals. This led to producing ANHAD, a day-long pilot festival that presented cross-arts specifically created for the outdoor sector. 

Dartington Trust

Creative Development Network Partner

We are a charity delivering progressive learning programmes in the arts, ecology and social justice. Our beautiful 1,200-acre estate is a vibrant year-round visitor destination. Our Arts programme aspires to enable local, national and international audiences to engage with the arts in meaningful ways. Our programming encompasses music, performance, theatre, visual arts, short courses, exhibitions, screenings and symposia with a range of guest curators.

Inspirate

Creative Development Partner

Inspirate has produced a plethora of arts festivals, events and socially engaged projects, delivering culturally dynamic experiences to audiences from across the country.

As a social enterprise, we exist to connect people from all walks of life with inspiring creative experiences – ambitiously pioneering a new and inclusive approach to culture where the door is open to all. Inspirate produces the UK’s annual An Indian Summer programme and has recently been awarded NPO status. Our work explores a multitude of artforms; from contemporary South Asian culture to world-class graffiti and projection mapping spectacles – there’s something for everyone to get excited about!

Culture Warrington

Creative Development Partner

Culture Warrington (in partnership with Warrington Borough Council), formed in 2012 as Warrington’s lead cultural organisation, is responsible for the strategic delivery of arts, culture and heritage, managing the town’s largest and most prominent cultural venues: Pyramid Arts Centre, Parr Hall and Warrington Museum & Art Gallery.  

Their programme is extensive and diverse, catering for Warrington’s entire community. Culture Warrington has an excellent track record – over more than a decade of delivering accessible, inclusive, diverse programmes of high-quality culture which engage and inspire audiences, and creates platforms for artists. 

Since 2012 they have delivered Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival (WCAF), an annual combined arts festival attracting regular ACE funding and reflecting Culture Warrington’s mission and values.  

Dudley Council

Creative Development Network Partner

Dudley Council’s Vision for 2030 will be supported by local cultural events programming.  The seven aspirations of the vision are: 

Vibrant towns and neighbourhoods – improving the vibrancy in town centres and high streets access  

A place to visit and enjoy that drives opportunity – continued promotion of Dudley as a tourist destination with improvements to the visitor experience 

A place where everybody has the education and skills they need – proving employment and training support for local residents 

Renowned as home to a host of innovative and prosperous business – dedicated support for businesses 

A place of healthy, resilient and safe communities – supporting community capacity building and resilience 

An affordable and attractive place to live with a green network of high quality parks, waterways and nature reserves – improvements to local green spaces and new open public spaces.

Creative Playground

Creative Development Partner

The Creative Playground is a new arts project in Crawley set up to engage more local people in arts & culture led by Manor Royal Business Improvement District and a consortium of local organisations: Creative Crawley, Crawley LGBT+, The Hawth, Diverse Crawley and Crawley Town Community Foundation. It is funded as part of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places Programme. 

The vision for Creative Playground is to use the distinctive characteristics of their place to bring people together and build a democratic culture of arts and cultural appreciation and participation over the next ten years; with local residents at the heart of the programme, empowered to make decisions on and commission the art that takes place here.  

Marketplace Creative People & Places

Creative Development Partner

MarketPlace embraces the unusual and unique rural landscapes of Fenland region of Cambridgeshire and the Forest Heath area of West Suffolk.

Their aim is always to work WITH communities giving them an equal role at the heart of decision making about the type of arts events they want to see in the places where they live. As an ‘action research’ project, everything we do is about questioning, reflecting and analysing how the arts are being used, experienced and what effect they have in our region.

And planting ideas like seeds in the ground…

FeastFest

Creative Development Partner

Performance Infinity is a social enterprise founded in 2012 and developed a community interest branch in 2022. We produced FeastFest (arts and food) as a performing arts festival in 2019, and it has transformed into a community-led, multidisciplinary arts festival in 2022 supported by Royal Docks Create Your Docks Grant to serve the community in Newham. 

Company Chameleon

Creative Development Network Partner

Company Chameleon will continue to tour existing repertoire nationally and internationally with a significant focus on our outdoor works. 

Responding to the environmental impact of touring, they are working towards a sustainable touring model, which includes the introduction of an electric touring vehicle in 2023. 
Additionally, Chameleon’s ambition is to curate and produce a dance festival in the next three years, which provides the opportunity for artists to showcase dance performance work, as well as develop their practice, knowledge and networks. This will begin on a small-scale from their studio and will grow to include commissioned work, community collaborations and an international element.