| MEMBER BULLETIN
Dear Jackie
This month brings a strong focus on connection. With the Catalyst Online #4 and the next Culture of Courage Round Table, to national conversations on cultural investment, philanthropy and infrastructure. Alongside upcoming events, you’ll find opportunities to shape regional initiatives, contribute to sector research and take part in collective work around race equality and inclusion.
As ever, this bulletin brings together what’s happening locally and nationally, with clear ways for you to engage, contribute and benefit as members of your Culture Network.
Also landing in your inbox this month, is your annual Membership renewal invoice. The invoice will cover April 26-March 27. So do keep an eye out! Short on time? Read the condensed roundup here. Or want to listen to the Bulletin rather than read it? Then click here to give it a listen. New Member Welcome
We’re pleased to welcome Be Free Campaign to the Culture Network LCR. Be Free Campaign is a youth-led mental health charity providing culturally-informed support to young people aged 11-25, with a strong focus on early prevention. Their work uses creative and cultural sessions spanning preventative programmes, early intervention counselling and mental health education in schools and communities across LCR. Give them a big Culture Network welcome.
Au Revoir and Welcome
We’d like to say thank you and au revoir to Ria Bagley, who is leaving the Culture Network for exciting new pastures. She’s handing the baton to Dan Martin, our new Membership and Systems Coordinator, starting on Mon 2 March. We’d encourage you all to welcome him into the Culture Network team. He’ll be at the 6 March Round Table and FFS, do come say hello and make him feel welcome!
Farewell message from Ria - “As some of you may know, this will be my final bulletin as Membership & Systems Coordinator at Culture Network LCR. It’s been a real privilege to work across such a varied creative community. From conversations with grassroots CICs to supporting larger institutions, It’s been beautiful to witness the ambition and generosity that shape the cultural life of our region. Thank you to everyone who has shared their skills, ideas, challenges, and time with me.
I’ll be continuing my work as a freelance sound designer, so if you’d like to stay connected for conversation or future creative work, you can reach me at riab...@protonmail.com or via my LinkedIn. Wishing the network continued growth and impact in future. It’s been a privilege to contribute.”
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| 🔥 CATALYST ONLINE #4 - PRESENTER CALLOUT & ATTENDANCE REMINDER 🗓️ 12 March 2026, 1.00-2.45pm | Online Catalyst is our fast-paced online sharing space - 3 min provocations, ideas and works-in-progress from members, designed to spark collaboration. Whether you want to share, test, or simply listen and connect, Catalyst is informal, generous and member-led. Alongside member presentations, Catalyst #4 will be a chance to hear about Culture Liverpool’s annual plans, major events from Alicia Smith and updates on the LCR cultural strategy from Jane Morgan. Jane Beardsworth, Senior Manager North from Arts Council England will also be in attendance listening in.
👉 Want to present? Presenters book your slot here.
👉 Want to listen and learn? Join the Zoom Meeting here. Meeting ID: 878 2588 7447 | Passcode: 653661
🗓️ ROUND TABLE #16 CULTURE OF COURAGE - PART TWO
Round Table #16
🗓️ 6 March 2026, 3:00 - 4:30pm Culture of Courage
Host: Akil Morgan, Capoeira for All CIC
Following December’s session, Culture of Courage returns to deepen the conversation around collective responsibility, allyship and action in the face of rising racism and institutional constraints. This session will include:
A grounding recap of key themes from Part 1 Reflection on our commitment to safe spaces and the realities organisations face A revisit of allyship and solidarity - what have we learned? Open discussion on what support and action look like in our organisations now Collective imagining: what could (or should) it look like next?
Organisations are at different stages of this work. This session is about moving forward together - thoughtfully, honestly and practically.
👉 Book your 2026 places here (members only).
👉 Want to listen online - calendar invites with Teams link sent out the week of the event.
🗣️ ROUND TABLES 2026 - BOOK YOUR IRL SEAT
Our Round Tables are monthly, themed sessions offering members a safe, focused space to explore big questions shaping the cultural sector. Each session includes:
15 in-person seats around the table at World Museum Liverpool An online listen-in option for those joining remotely Calendar invites (including the Teams link) sent closer to each session
Round Tables are designed for honest conversation, shared learning and collective thinking - your voice matters in the room.
👉 Book your 2026 IRL places here.
📝 ROUND TABLES #15 MEETING NOTES
Click this link for notes from Round Table #15 - Feb 6, AI Impact and Ethics. Hosted by Nicola Triscott, FACT Liverpool. This Round Table discussed AI’s capabilities, practical applications, ethical issues and creative potential. 🗓️ FIRST FRIDAY SOCIAL (FFS) 🗓️ First Friday of every month, 5:00–7:00pm
📍 Circle Bar, Liverpool’s Royal Court FFS is our most relaxed meet-up. Open to all members and all LCR creatives, it’s a chance to unwind, chat, and make new connections. Expect: Free drink whilst tokens last Delicious vegan snacks (thanks to Royal Court 🍻🌱) Friendly intros so you never stand in the corner alone. No RSVP needed - just turn up! *Please note, there won't be an April FFS as it is Good Friday
💬 JOIN OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY A safe, members-only space for: 👉 Click here to join (please say who you are when you enter!) 👥 MEMBERS CONTACT LIST
The updated March contact list is now available. Please check it over and email us if staff need adding or removing. Note: The file has 3 tabs - one with full details, one simplified for easy copy-and-paste use and one with growing list of cultural partners.
🗓️ LCVS CONVENTION & FUNDING FAIR
🗓️ 26 March
📍The Florrie Liverpool Council for Voluntary Service is hosting its first city-wide Convention & Funding Fair on 26 March, bringing together VCFSE organisations, funders and civic leaders. For Culture Network members, this is a key opportunity to build cross-sector relationships, understand current funding priorities and connect cultural work to wider social and community agendas. Booking details here. |
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🎶 MUSIC INDUSTRY CAREERS FEST - FOR ORGANISATIONS & YOUNG PEOPLE
Culture Network member, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, is hosting the Music Industry Careers Fest on Sunday 22 March. Bringing together young people, schools and the music sector to explore routes into music and creative careers at North’s largest music industry careers event. Featuring keynote speakers Guy Chambers and Natasha Hamilton, plus the BBC, Spotify, Universal, UK Music and many more. Two ways to engage:
Full event details on your Joint Promo Member Benefit Uncoverliverpool.com.
📍 THE POWER OF PLACE: CULTURAL PHILANTHROPY IN 2026 (MANCHESTER)
Figurative is hosting The Power of Place: Cultural Philanthropy in 2026, on Tues 10 March 1.15-5pm exploring how cultural organisations can build stronger place-based fundraising strategies in a shifting funding landscape. Examining the role of local identity, civic pride and regional partnerships in unlocking philanthropic support, alongside practical insight for organisations navigating income diversification and sustainability.
🔗 Find out more and book your free place.
📚 FREE ONLINE EVALUATION TRAINING FOR ARTS, CULTURE & HERITAGE The Centre for Cultural Value is offering a free, self-paced online evaluation course designed specifically for arts, culture and heritage professionals. The training covers how to plan, collect and use evaluation evidence in a proportionate, meaningful way - useful for funding applications, reporting and organisational learning. The course is open access and can be completed at your own pace. 🔗 Find out more and enrol.
📋 CREATIVE UK PAPER - CULTURE AS GROWTH INFRASTRUCTURE The Creative UK’s provocation paper Culture as Growth Infrastructure (Amy Tarr and Michelle Calame) makes a direct case that culture should be treated like infrastructure in UK economic strategy - not just a “nice-to-have”. It argues the sector already delivers measurable returns across growth, wellbeing and place resilience, yet is consistently under-valued in the appraisal systems that determine where public money (and growth finance) flows. 👉 Read the full paper here.
🏛️ DCMS CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATE: NEW INVESTMENT ANNOUNCEDThe government has confirmed a new package of cultural investment, worth £1.5billion including further rounds of the Creative Foundations Fund (totalling £425m), additional funding for Libraries Improvement (LIF) and the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), and a new Museum Transformation Programme focused on supporting more sustainable business models. The announcement also confirms a 5% uplift for all regularly funded organisations supported by Arts Council England. Members are encouraged to keep an eye on eligibility criteria and timelines as further details are released.
🚀 INVESTMENT FUNDS - WHAT MEMBERS SHOULD KNOW
Livv Investment manages a range of investment funds designed to support business growth, innovation and long-term sustainability. Culture Network members exploring capital investment, asset development or scale-up opportunities may wish to review the available funds and eligibility criteria. 🔗 Explore current funds 🤝 OUR ALLYSHIP, SOLIDARITY AND ACTION POLICY
Our EDIA Working Group’s Allyship, Solidarity and Action document is a practical guide for moving beyond allyship towards active solidarity, and building fairer, safer, more inclusive cultural spaces across the LCR. It’s a living document and we welcome continued input from across the network.
🎥 Watch the short overview video below, featuring the formidable Jay from the EDIA working group (and First Take), and follow the link below to read the full document.
🎧 An audio version is available via the ‘play’ button (top right). Alternative formats can be requested at ad...@culturenetwork.co.uk. Click here to download the document. |
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👥 STEERING GROUP OPPORTUNITY: LIVERPOOL INCLUSIVE MULTISPORT & CULTURAL FESTIVAL
Arts Council England is supporting a Liverpool Inclusive Multisport & Culture Festival and is seeking an independent member to join the steering group. This is an opportunity to help shape an inclusive para sport and culture initiative in the city region, contributing strategic insight and local knowledge to an exciting cross-sector programme. 🔗 Find out more and apply here. 🎓 FREE AI SKILLS BOOST TRAINING
Built by leading industry partners and backed by Skills England and the Department for Science Innovation and Technology. Courses take from 20 minutes to a day, fit around working life, and teach practical skills you can use straight away – whatever your role or technical background.
🔗 Find out more and book here. |
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✊ THE MARCH TO STOP THE FAR RIGHT: 28 MARCH
Together we stand, divided we fall! Find out more and attend here. 🌎 RACE EQUALITY ACTION WORKING GROUP WORKSHOP
Liverpool's Arts and Culture Race Equality Action Group (REAG) is hosting a workshop reviewing the Manifesto on Mon 30 March, 2-5pm.
This workshop will focus on practical ways to counter toxic narratives. Lisa Allen (Shakespeare North Playhouse) and Patrick Fox (Heart of Glass) will present, followed by round table discussions. Previous workshops have shown these informal conversations to be invaluable — a space to build solidarity.
Open to Culture Network members, Manifesto signatories and others working in LCR arts who share these values. 🔗Book on 30 March here.
In the face of rising racism, the Culture Network issued a Statement of Unity — a collective promise to stand against racism and build a more equitable cultural community, accompanied by 13 Member case studies putting those words into practice.
📊 REAG ANNUAL WORKFORCE DIVERSITY QUESTIONNAIRE
Annual Workforce Diversity Survey - Download the Example Survey.
What we're asking: Please complete the 2024-25 workforce diversity survey.
Why it matters: This LCR study helps show how our arts sector is progressing on EDIA values. The Culture Network endorses completion across all member organisations — staff, freelancers, volunteers, and trustees.The data will show: The reality of racial diversity in LCR's cultural sector How we compare to wider census data Whether we're making progress on our shared values or not.
Making it easier: Questions align with Arts Council England, DCMS, and CAIP reporting; please use data you've already collected!
One ask: Last year had too many "prefer not to say" responses. Please encourage full completion based on LCR aggregating regional data rather than looking for exceptions; the more complete the data is, the clearer picture we will all have. Contact / Send completed surveys: Charlie Comer at the Combined Authority.
🗓️ Deadline: 20 March 2026
🌎 DECOLONISATION WORKSHOP: 13 APRIL
Led by Liverpool Colour Collective, and free to Culture Network members, this free workshop introduces the foundations of decoloniality, inviting participants to understand the roots of race and racism and to explore pre‑colonial African histories. It examines how race was constructed through law, philosophy, medicine, and science, and situates these ideas within colonialism and the British Empire.
Participants can apply decolonial methods to their own identities, work practices, and organisational cultures, using a trauma‑informed and healing‑centred approach. More info to follow in coming weeks, plus booking link.
🫖 BELONGING BY MAKING: HEART OF GLASS IN ARTS PROFESSIONALCulture Network member Heart of Glass is featured in a new Arts Professional article exploring what we learn when we make art together.In Belonging by making, Rhyannon Parry reflects on a decade of socially engaged practice across St Helens and Knowsley — from murals and music projects to work in libraries, recovery groups and community centres. The piece considers trust, pace, pride of place and why long-term relationship-building (often over cups of tea) matters more than short-term delivery.
🔗 Read about co-creation, place and cultural infrastructure at community level here.
🌱 PUBLIC HEALTH LIVERPOOL: GROWING WELL SURVEY
Public Health Liverpool is developing a new ‘Growing Well’ offer for schools and early years settings. The initiative aims to support a whole-setting approach to creating healthier environments where children, young people and staff can thrive.
As part of this work, they are mapping the full range of activity currently delivered in schools and early years settings whether your offer is targeted or universal, free or traded. The aim is to build a clear picture of existing provision across the city region and identify where additional support may be needed.
If your organisation delivers activity in these settings, you are invited to complete a short stakeholder survey to inform the development of the programme.
🧭 WORKING GROUPS - UPDATES Strategy
The Government’s Visitor Levy consultation closed on 18 February. The Culture Network Strategy Working Group submitted a formal response on behalf of members, advocating that any levy income be ringfenced for cultural infrastructure, that the sector is represented in decision-making, and that funds are genuinely additional rather than offset against existing budgets.
Read the Culture Network response here. The group continues to engage with developments around the Global LCR & Liverpool Partnership, the proposed LCR Soft Power Board, and early discussions shaping the forthcoming LCR Cultural Strategy.
EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Access)
The EDIA Working Group met on February 17th to progress plans around allyship, inclusion and member support. A short captioned promo video for the Allyship, Solidarity & Action document is being prepared for March, while Decompressure plans are being reshaped to prioritise at least one focused event and generate evaluation evidence for a forthcoming ACE training bid. The group also supports the REAG Pledge Workshop (30 March), and advocates for genuine lived-experience inclusion in planning for the 2027 Culture Festival. Next EDIA Working Group meeting: 17 March.
SHIFT (Sustainability)
📅 Next meeting: Tuesday 7 April, 2.30–4pm (Hybrid, Edge Hill Station)
At the Feb meeting, Members shared updates on decarbonisation, biodiversity research, circular economy initiatives and Carbon Literacy training, with discussion highlighting that audience travel can account for up to 80% of cultural organisations’ climate impact. Members were reminded to complete the SHIFT pledge survey. Full meeting notes here. Keen to join? Email Jenny.
Skills & Participation
This Working Group is exploring connections with the LCR Combined Authority Creative Careers team, along with how we can build a central directory of cultural skills and participation opportunities across the LCR. Want to get involved? Contact Leanne or Charlotte. Joint Promotion
The Joint Promotion Group is looking for new members to help shape how we spotlight member organisations and strengthen communications, audience growth and impact across UncoverLiverpool.com. Interested? Contact Lucy Byrne or Clare.
🗣️ CALLOUTS Free or discounted training places?
If your organisation has access to free or subsidised training opportunities - whether that’s creative skills, leadership, health & safety, or digital upskilling - please share them so other members can benefit. We’ll feature a selection in next month’s bulletin and on our member communication channels.Collective days of actionIf your organisation is planning a public action, solidarity moment, key date, or sector-wide campaign, tell us - we’ll amplify through all channels.
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| 💬 CELEBRATING LCR’S CULTURAL DESTINATIONS
In December, our Big Uncover Competition invited people to share their favourite cultural destinations across the Liverpool City Region — and we received 230+ brilliant responses celebrating venues, festivals and spaces that make this region special. Thank you again to members who donated prizes, and to everyone who took part. Here are three fresh snippets. You can read them all here.
Bluecoat
“Right in the centre, but it feels like a calm oasis — great exhibitions, a lovely café, and a hidden garden.” NML World Museum
“A brilliant free family day out — we visit again and again and always discover something new.” Future Yard (Birkenhead)
“Welcoming, affordable and always varied — it’s become our go-to for live music and community events.” Organisations are welcome to use the quotes anonymously. For more information, contact Clare. |
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| | | | | Dive in, bring your voice, and make the most of your membership. Got ideas? We’re listening! |
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| | If there is anything we’re missing in your Bulletins, then please do let us know.
What do you think of this month's Bulletin? Your feedback helps us create better emails for you! |
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THANKS FOR READING!
Best wishes, Charlotte, Ria, Dan and Clare
The Culture Network LCR Board of Directors: Emma Smith - Liverpool Irish Festival Gillian Miller - Royal Court Theatre Jay Farley - First Take Laura Pye - National Museums Liverpool Lucy Byrne - dot-art Madeline Heneghan - Writing on the Wall Nicola Triscott - FACT Patrick Fox - Heart of Glass Rob Sanderson-Thomas - Norton Priory Museum & Trust |
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