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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 1d

Find out more and book your tickets 👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1605609514...

Cultural Governance Conference 2025

Join us to reimagine what cultural governance looks like - how we can, not just reflect our communities, but be truly led by them.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 1d

Our Co-Director Annabel Turpin will be speaking at Arts & Business NI's Cultural Governance Conference at The Duncairn in Belfast next Thur 23 Oct, sharing insights from her roles at Future Arts Centres, Storyhouse, and Arts Council England. How can organisations be truly community-led?

Promotional graphic for the Cultural Governance Conference 2025, showing speakers Saad Eddine Said (New Art Exchange); Annabel Turpin (Storyhouse); Olwen Dawe (Safe to Create); and Fiona Bell (Thrive).

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 4d

A huge congratulations to our Yorkshire member Bradford Arts Centre, formerly Kala Sangam, who have reopened this week. We can't wait to see what this new chapter brings!

Bradford Arts Centre @bdartscentre.bsky.social · 6d

🎉 BRADFORD ARTS CENTRE IS OPEN 🎉

Bradford Arts Centre has opened to the public, celebrating South Asian culture, contemporary performance and its heritage as Kala Sangam and its founders, Dr Shripati Upadhyaya, and Dr Geetha Upadhyaya.

Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 5d

🌍 This summer, we supported Sophie Cade from The Met, Bury to attend #FAMFEST Chile, a festival championing theatre for young audiences. She’s back with big ideas for Bury and beyond. Read her reflections 👉 futureartscentres.org.uk/famfest-chil...

#FutureArtsCentres #FAMFEST2025 #FamilyTheatre

A group shot of FAMFEST attendees, with a row of people standing, and another row kneeling in front of them

Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 19d

⚪ Restoke - a community arts centre based in Fenton Town Hall, putting the people of Stoke-on-Trent at the heart of creative adventures (@restoke.bsky.social)

We’re looking forward to connecting, collaborating, and celebrating your work. Welcome to the network!

(5/5)

Exterior of Fenton Town Hall, home of Restoke

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 19d

⚪ Harbour House - a charitable contemporary art and wellbeing centre based in Kingsbridge, South Devon

(4/5)

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 19d

⚪ Florence Arts Centre - a participatory arts centre located on the site of a former iron ore mine in Egremont, Cumbria

(3/5)

Outside Florence Arts Centre in Egremont, with a painting of the same scene on an easel in the foreground

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 19d

⚪ BEAM - a vibrant creative arts and culture venue in the heart of Hertford town centre

(2/5)

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 19d

We're thrilled to extend a very warm welcome to five more organisations joining Future Arts Centres. It's fantastic to have you on board!

Please join us in welcoming:

⚪ Art & Talking - the art centre of Chipping Norton

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Exterior of Art & Talking, a building in the 13th Century Market Square

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · 26d

A Future Arts Centres member, the Southbank Centre, is marking a significant milestone soon! Our Co-Directors Annabel Turpin & Gavin Barlow were delighted to be at the launch of their 75th anniversary programme last night. Find out what's in store for 2026: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/press/the-so...

FAC Co-Directors Annabel Turpin and Gavin Barlow pose for a photo against the background of activity at the Southbank Centre.

Photo credit: Maddy Mills.

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Reposted by Future Arts Centres

Gosforth Civic Theatre @gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk · 27d

Our Freedom Moving platform is part of @artscentres.bsky.social's national Our Freedom Then and Now project to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

It will involve more than 60 performers, dancers, and musicians who will explore what freedom means to us, then.. and now.

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Reposted by Future Arts Centres

Gosforth Civic Theatre @gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk · 27d

This week, we attended a Local History Group session at Gosforth Library to tell them all about Our Freedom Then and Now and the history of our wonderful building.

Housed in the library is the war memorial which commemorates the people of Gosforth who lost their lives in the Second World War.

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Sep 2

Congratulations to Abigail Pogson on being appointed as the new CEO of our London member the Barbican Centre.

Abigail takes up her role in January, and we look forward to seeing her lead the Barbican through their exciting Renewal programme and beyond: www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/pr...

Abigail Pogson announced as new Barbican Centre CEO | Barbican

www.barbican.org.uk

Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 29

Our Co-Director Annabel Turpin welcomed Chris Bryant MP, Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, to @storyhouselive.bsky.social this week to talk about the value and impact of arts centres like this one.

Here’s to continuing the conversation about our power to make a difference.

Annabel Turpin, Chief Executive of Storyhouse and Co-Director of Future Arts Centres, and Sir Chris Bryant MP, Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, pose for a photo against the backdrop of the interior of Storyhouse.

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 27

"It's time to look more seriously at the role of arts centres as civic anchors... increasingly central to the health and wellbeing of communities" - says our Co-Director Annabel Turpin in this piece for Museums Journal (@museumsassociation.org): www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...

As councils cut back, art centres step up - Museums Association

The role of arts centres as community hubs has never been more important, says Annabel Turpin

www.museumsassociation.org

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 22

We’re thrilled to announce 22 photographers from Open Eye Gallery's Socially Engaged Photography Network will be capturing stories from #OurFreedom: Then and Now, culminating in a national exhibition in 2026. Meet them & learn more: ourfreedom.org.uk/news/new-nat...

@artscouncilengland.bsky.social

Person (face out of shot) holding a camera

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 15

Thanks to Minister Peacock for visiting and recognising how arts centres help connect communities and explore what freedom means today.

More on the visits and the UK-wide programme marking 80 years since WWII: futureartscentres.org.uk/minister-ste...

#VEDay #VJDay #ArtsCentres (2/2)

Minister Stephanie Peacock, Gavin Barlow (Co-Director, Future Arts Centres), and participants plus facilitators & people from The Old Fire Station, Oxford

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 15

Great to welcome @stephanie-peacock.bsky.social to @barnsleycivic.bsky.social and The Old Fire Station, Oxford this week, where she saw Our Freedom: Then & Now projects in action - from pop-up community exhibitions to creative work in development. #OurFreedom #ThenAndNow #CreativeCommunities (1/2)

Minister Stephanie Peacock with Jennifer Cleary (Arts Council England), Helen Boutle (Lead Artist at Creative Recovery), Daniel Winder (CEO at Barnsley Civic), and Joel Brogan (Head of Programme, at Barnsley Civic)

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Reposted by Future Arts Centres

Libraries Connected @librariesconnected.bsky.social · Aug 15

Today is the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, marking the effective end of World War II.

Public #Libraries are exploring what the end of the conflict meant to their communities through ‘Our Freedom: Then and Now’, a project funded by @dcmsgovuk.bsky.social.

www.librariesconnected.org.uk/projects/lib...

A photograph showing London on 15 August 1945 as crowds hear about the end of the war in the Far East.

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 15

Photo credits:
1. Bridport Arts Centre - Dot Forrester, 2025
2. IWM - Fred Tonne, 1945
3. IWM - No 9 Army, 1945
3. Lincoln Arts Centre - Thomas Hall Boehringer, 2025

(6/6)

Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 15

A feat made possible by the venues, volunteers, our partners @librariesconnected.bsky.social and Open Eye Gallery, and public funding from @artscouncilengland.bsky.social via Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (5/6)

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 15

Events, workshops, sessions, and reflections in the Our Freedom: Then and Now campaign have already helped many remember and recognise our freedom through the arts. (4/6)

Image from Lincoln Arts Centre: Youth Group session at RAF Digby

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 15

We must never forget the story of our freedom – or those who protected it in #WWII. (3/6)

UK and US soldiers on VJ Day in Oxford Circus, 1945

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 15

In celebration, this summer and autumn, 80 venues around the UK are bringing artists, creatives and communities together to ask the same question, “what does our freedom mean?”

💬 The answers may differ.
❤️ The determination is the same. (2/6)

Two soldiers visit the Military Cemetery at Kohima, 1945

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Future Arts Centres @artscentres.bsky.social · Aug 15

What does our freedom mean?

This VJ Day, Future Arts Centres is asking what freedom means to us all.

80 years on, freedom remains as important and all encompassing as ever. 🕊️ (1/6)

Image of a young person from Bridport Arts Centre: From and To Workshop 2025

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