Culture In Flux has been supporting organisations to problem-solve and achieve their goals since 2019. We are curious and agile. Our list of clients reflects our expertise and broad range of interests. As well as working with arts organisations, Culture In Flux has supported European Foundations – Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation as well as UK Regional Development agencies– Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Culture Central (West Midlands). We have also worked with the UK Higher Education sector – South East Cultural Innovation Forum (partnership involving 10 universities and colleges) and University College London (media education).
South East Cultural Innovation Forum
Dr Mark Dunford and Shreela Ghosh worked with members of the South East Cultural Innovation Forum in 2023 – 2024 to facilitate the development of the Forum – this is a partnership of eight universities and colleges in the Southeast of England. In July 2024, Culture In Flux programmed and delivered a day-long symposium for the Forum and with the active participation of many partners from the culture sector. The theme was building social justice, diversity and cultural equity and the event was held in the Historic Dockyard Church at Chatham Dockyard. Dr Mykaell Riley, founder and director of the Black Music Research Unit at the University of Westminster gave the keynote which was well received by the artists/activists, cultural leaders and senior academics who took part in the sessions. Read more about the Forum.
Dr Mykaell Riley co-curated the British Library’s exhibition Beyond the Bassline: 500 years of Black British Music and you can watch Mykaell talking to the BBC’s Jools Holland about the British Library’s exhibition on iPlayer.
Metroland Cultures
In 2023 Shreela Ghosh and Sarah Macnee, co-directors of Culture In Flux were invited to act as the joint director (job-share role) of Metroland Cultures. In this interim role, Shreela worked closely with Metroland’s curator Christy O’Beirne to launch the With Us All Community Commission in November 2023. The culmination of a year-long community involvement and creative co-design, artist Sean Roy Parker produced a glasshouse made from reclaimed sash windows and doors. Twelve months on, the glasshouse has become a much-loved feature of the St Raphael’s Edible Garden; it is a hub for ecological exploration, at the heart of a community garden in an economically deprived neighbourhood, just off the North Circular Road (A406). The project was delivered in partnership with the Sufra Foodbank and Kitchen and it was the final Community Commission of the 2022 Brent Biennale. Sarah worked closely with curator Annie Jael Kwan to fundraise for the next edition of the Brent Biennale, and together the interim directors led a Board Development Day and they provided leadership to the small Metroland team and ensured that the programme of exhibitions at the centre (a meanwhile space in Kilburn), ran smoothly.
Tamasha Theatre Company
Culture In Flux co-directors Shreela Ghosh and Sarah Macnee worked closely with Tamasha Theatre Company over six months. Culture In Flux was commissioned to conduct an independent Organisational Review at a pivotal moment in the company’s history and development.
A new Artistic Director, Pooja Ghai joined Tamasha mid-way through the project; we were delighted to assist Pooja and CEO Valerie Synmoie with refreshing the vision, mission, and values of Tamasha as well as the strategic planning required in the lead up to the submission of the NPO application to Arts Council England. The NPO bid was successful, and Tamasha Theatre Company is continuing to flourish.
Debra Michaels in STARS by Mojisola Adebayo. A Tamasha and ICA co-production 2023 (Photo by Ali Wright)
Without Walls – Governance Review
Culture In Flux was commissioned by Without Walls, a leading outdoor arts company, to conduct a review of its governance arrangements to ensure that it demonstrated best practice as a not-for-profit arts organisation. This work was informed by discussions about equality and accessibility, including issues arising from the Black Lives Matter movement. The review was led by Shreela Ghosh and Sarah Macnee who consulted with the Board members of Without Walls and the director of XTRAX. Shreela and Sarah also talked to the CEO/Chair of 12 external organisations including Dance Consortium, Gecko, Sampad, and Shape Arts. Culture In Flux worked closely with Jo Burns, the Executive Chair of Without Walls and the final report included a series of recommendations on ways to strengthen the governance of Without Walls.
“Without Walls commissioned Culture in Flux to undertake a Governance Review with a particular emphasis on barriers to entry and participation. While the issues involved were complex and wide-ranging, Shreela and Sarah engaged in the work with sensitivity and rigour. In our experience, the company has considerable skills and knowledge, and understands the importance of listening and being flexible. We are pleased to have appointed them and with the final report which has made a valuable contribution to Without Walls’ development” Jo Burns, Chair, Without Walls
As the World Tipped by Wired Aerial Theatre image copyright: James Mulkeen
LCRCA – Research on Culture and Internationalism
Read or download the final report here: Liverpool City Region Culture & Internationalism Research
An International Working Group for Culture, led by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) in partnership with the British Council, appointed a team from Culture In Flux, to undertake research on its behalf. This works to embed internationalism within the city region’s 30 Year Cultural and Creativity Strategy and other major strategic strategies and plans serving the city region. The research provides a clearer understanding of visitor profiles and trends across the city region; the composition and needs of international student population; the makeup of the city’s many international communities and residents and the impacts of cultural offer on residents, particularly those with an international or diverse cultural background. It draws on case studies to promote stories to showcase opportunities for the future development of international work.
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch)
Culture In Flux was invited by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to manage the Award for Civic Arts Organisations. The Culture In Flux directors Sarah Macnee and Shreela Ghosh have more than 25 years of grants-management experience, and as our consultancy practice is geared around interventions that can make a measurable difference to the lives of individuals and communities, working with the Gulbenkian team on the delivery of the second and third editions of the award has been enjoyable.
Over the past three years it has been great to see how hundreds of arts organisations, large and small, are working with their communities to find solutions. Our understanding of Civic Arts has grown and we have enjoyed discussions with the judging panel looking at the various methodologies for co-creation and grappling with what sustainability means in different contexts. We were pleased that the recipients of the Award for Civic Arts Organisations were dispersed from across the UK – Scotland, Wales and England; evidently, all of these organisations are helping their communities to thrive.
Read the 2023 Learning Report by Mark Robinson which tells the story of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Civic Role of Arts Organisations programme in the UK.
Culture Central – Cultural Leadership Programme
Culture Central is the collective voice for Arts and Culture in the Birmingham City region. It is leading Transforming Narratives, a three-year programme which aims to establish Birmingham as a leading international centre for contemporary South Asian arts practice, presenting multi-art forms through an artistic exchange programme, for the mutual benefit of Birmingham as well as cities in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Culture In Flux has been commissioned to design and deliver a leadership development programme which equally meets the learning needs of emerging leaders and mid-career leaders of Bangladeshi and Pakistani (including Kashmiri) heritage in Birmingham, and emerging and mid-career leaders from Pakistan and Bangladesh. The work is supported by the British Council and Arts Council England.
Fio – Business & Development Planning
Fio, is an independent theatre company established in 2013 led by theatre director Abdul Shayek from a base in Splott, Cardiff. The company operates across three connected strands of activity. Firstly, it works with communities in Splott; secondly, it provides training and development opportunities for BAME practitioners from Wales and finally, Fio produces compelling, award-winning theatre that uses drama to tackle complex questions around social justice.
“The Culture In Flux team worked with us at a pivotal moment in Fio’s development. Whilst Fio had been successful in securing short term project grants in the past, we needed multi-year funding support and larger grants to deliver our ambitious productions and workshops over time. As a result of the business planning work led by the Culture In Flux team, Fio has become more sustainable – we have leveraged more than £250,000 from Arts Council Wales and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. Culture In Flux has also enabled Fio to create a clear and robust framework for evaluation, making it easier to measure and understand the company’s impact in terms of arts/cultural policy and social change.”
Abdul Shayek, Founder Director, Fio Theatre Company.
UCL – BA Course Development
The Department of Culture, Communication and Media from the Institute of Education at University College London (UCL) launched a new industry facing BA Media in 2021. The BA is a collaboration between Institute of Education and faculties of Arts & Humanities and Social & Historical Studies within UCL. This is the first of a series of initiatives taking place through the UCL East project which will see the opening of a major new campus at London East Bank. Culture In Flux led the development and validation of the new programme. The programme draws on UCL’s networks and partnerships in London and beyond to offer a unique blend of analytical, creative and entrepreneurial opportunities.
“We are very grateful to Mark Dunford and his team for their help in guiding our new BA Media course at UCL to successful validation. His [their] breadth and depth of experience in programme design and its links to national frameworks was invaluable, and we also greatly appreciated his/their sensitivity to local and internal factors.“
Professor Andrew Burn, MA, PhD, FRSA, Professor of English, Media and Drama, UCL Knowledge Lab, UCL Institute of Education
Just A Card
JUST A CARD is a grassroots campaign that aims to encourage people to buy from designer/makers and independent galleries and shops by reinforcing the message that all purchases, however small, even ‘just a card’ are so vital. Artist & Designer Sarah Hamilton saw the quote “If everyone who’d complimented our beautiful gallery had bought ‘just a card‘ we’d still be open” from store keepers who’d recently closed their gallery. Culture In Flux supported the development of the campaign with strategic advice on the provision of training for entrepreneurs, communications and income generation via a successful crowdfunding campaign and partnership working. Read more about JUST A CARD.