Chaired by Laura Marie Brown, writer and creative producer, with contributions from Mary Cloake, CEO of Bluecoat; Amina Atiq, poet, performance artist, creative practitioner & award-winning community activist; Lynsey Hanley, writer and journalist; and Sam Mercer, digital programmes at Bluecoat.
In these challenging times, the function of the arts in society is becoming increasingly valued, as well as put under scrutiny. Publicly-funded arts organisations are being challenged to develop new ways to engage with their audiences, to become more relevant to local communities, and to grow their civic role.
As the first arts centre in the UK, constituted in 1927, the Bluecoat has long engaged with Liverpool’s cultural and civic life, providing a home for artists, cultural societies, creative retailers, festivals, and a place for public discourse and social interaction.