What we do

(top) Wolf’s Child, Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2015. Photo: Steve Tanner. (bottom) The People’s Tower, Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2014. Photo: Chris Taylor.

Convening is at the heart of what we do. We believe that bringing people together in conversation has the power to inform, inspire and challenge people to do things differently in their own organisations, in our sector and in our communities. 

We convene space in regional Chapters and in UK-wide meetings, to bring together the breadth of voices/leadership (small orgs, large orgs, freelancers, and policy makers) within the arts and culture sector, where challenge and possibility can lead to shared priorities and collective responses. What Next? comprises 10 regional Chapters operating across the UK, who meet regularly with their own local community. We also host regular UK-wide online meetings. 

Our convening leads to:

  • Advocacy: Shaping policy proposals & UK-wide & local strategies. We build the capacity (skills, knowledge & confidence) and access of those most impacted by policy (global majority, working class, disabled) to engage with policymakers in our sector and in government.   
  • Learning & modelling: Sharing and embodying systems leadership – We are a movement of peers in many different contexts with different specialist skills and experiences.  We build conditions for us to share good practice and to build systems leadership. 
  • Amplification: Championing actions that build equitable conditions for the arts & culture.  We work in close partnership with chapter chairs, sector organisations and other networks to champion and amplify campaigns across the movement. 

As a movement, we initiate conversations with policy makers, politicians, funders, academics, unions and sector bodies, and work with experts when we need to engage with specific agendas. We work collaboratively to write position papers and submissions to DCMS, HM Treasury, ACE, and other bodies about the value of culture to our society and economy, drawing on the consensus and arguments forged at meetings.

Activity we have delivered:

In the last 12 months, we have engaged with influencing policy in the following areas:

  • Labour Party Engagement (Sept–Oct 2024): Roundtable with Minister Chris Bryant; multiple sessions on advocacy and reflections from the Labour Party Conference.
  • Democratic Processes and Policy Influence (Feb 2025): Engaged with the whole UK movement on strategies for influencing political processes and policymaking.
  • Responding to Racism and Islamophobia (Aug 2024): Addressed national violence and discrimination; worked with global majority leaders.
  • Welfare Reform & Access (July 2025): Examined implications of welfare policy on D/deaf and disabled artists.
  • Education Policy and Curriculum Review (July & Nov 2024, Feb & May 2025): Multiple sessions spotlighting policy shifts in education and their cultural implications.
  • Spending Review and Growth (Jan & May 2025): Explored the sector’s role in national growth and fiscal planning.
  • Arts and AI Roundtables: Three sessions engaging d/Deaf and disabled perspectives, sector-wide analysis, and policy consultation.
  • Culture and Devolution (Dec 2024 & April 2025): Led by Jude Kelly CBE, explored localised leadership and policy.
  • Freelancers (March 2025): Session led by Leila D’Aronville on freelancer-specific conditions and advocacy.
  • Art Council England Review (March 2025): Included sessions specifically with D/deaf and disabled and freelance colleagues (March–April 2025).
  • Evidence and Impact (June 2025): Addressed how evidence is used to shape sector narratives and policy influence.
  • A session on democratic decision making led by Citizen’s in Power,
  • A takeover session on inclusive practice by the Jerwood Creative Bursaries Toolkit
  • The civic role of arts organisations and how this works in practice in the current climate, part of an ongoing series with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. View their latest report – The Civic Role of Arts Organisations Learning Report: From Inquiry to Movement

Regional Chapters around the UK

Our What Next? Chapters across the country have continued to convene locally to shape and debate the future of the arts and culture. Examples of activity include:

  • the Brighton Chapter creating an ABCD plan for the future of culture in the city,
  • the Bath Chapter focussing a series of sessions on education and learning.
  • in Wandsworth, a new Co-Chair is being mentored bringing fresh perspectives and ideas to the Chapter, including a renewed focus on reaching younger people through the Chapter’s activities. The London Borough of Culture in Wandsworth has also brought renewed energy to the collaborative nature of the Chapter and its members.
  • in Greater Manchester, recent meetings have covered freelancers, placemaking, and creative health, with upcoming meetings on fundraising, social justice, and learnings from year-long cultural programmes. 

We work with our Chapter Chairs to develop our peer-learning network.

Roundtables

  • Roundtable sessions on Arts, Tech and AI in partnership with Arts Council England
  • Working with the former government’s DCMS and DWP on Access to Work modelling

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