Place-Based Peer Learning Newsletter: May 2025
Published on May 12, 2025
Welcome to the latest edition of our Place-Based Peer Learning Newsletter!
As well as our regular selection of latest events, news and learning from the programme, we’ll also have a focus on:
- Connecting with your peers
- Community podcasting
- How Cultural Compacts developed
Upcoming Events
Connect and Reflect
Join our next ‘Connect and Reflect’ session on Wednesday 4 June.
In June’s session we invite you to share and reflect on your experiences and understanding of working in your places. How have you responded to your individual local opportunities and challenges? How could your experiences help your peers?
These monthly sessions provide the time to digitally connect with your place-based peers, consider a range of themes and come away with new approaches to your work.
How to Make a Community Podcast
Join our upcoming session on how to make a community podcast on Wednesday 18 June.
The session will provide the perfect introduction to community podcasting, covering both the technical and editorial aspects to creating.
The session will be delivered by Peanut and Crumb who created our podcasts, Conversations in Place.
Cultural Compacts
Save the date for our upcoming session on Cultural Compacts on Wednesday 9 July.
Discover more about how and why Cultural Compacts were created, as well as inspiring case studies.
We’ll be sharing more details soon!
Introducing the Cultural Education Network
Arts Council England’s new Cultural Education Network supports teachers, freelance teaching artists and staff from creative and cultural organisations in England.
Join the Cultural Education Network team for an informal online session where they will introduce the network, share how you can engage with it, and discuss future plans.
The session will take place on Tuesday 24 June.
Take a listen
Check out our podcast series, Conversations in Place.
The series focuses on the great work happening in place, featuring a range of voices from across the country. Tune in as they explore and discuss creativity and culture and the people that make it happen.
In our latest podcast, discover more about the work of Grimm & Co and their support for children and young people in Rotherham.
Hivebrite
Hivebrite is our digital community networking platform open to those working in a place-based way. We’re delighted to share that you can now download an app version of the platform on Android, as well as Apple.
Just head to your App Store and search for ‘Place Based Peer Learning’ and download.
Catch Up
Learning from Failure: City of Culture
Take a look at our recent panel discussion with City of Culture applicants.
Discover how their unsuccessful bids led to their development of new paths, partnerships and programmes. The session includes contributions from County Durham, Medway, Southampton and Stoke.
Joint Cultural Needs Assessment
Catch up on our recent session with Jonothan Neelands and Mark Scott on how to utilise the updated Joint Cultural Needs Assessment Guidelines.
Discover how the guidelines can help you align cultural strategies with local priorities to address urgent place-based needs.
Project Sharing
In our ‘Project Shares’ event we heard from a variety of programming for poverty awareness projects, inluding an update from Sunderland Culture on their Culture Start programme.
Culture Start is a place-partnership funded programme to provide better access to cultural and creative opportunities to children and young people from low-income families.
Looking to find out more? All our project share recordings are available to view on Hivebrite.
Useful Links:
- Let’s Create
- Join our Place-Based Peer Learning Network
- Subscribe to our Place-Based Peer Learning newsletter
Image Credit: Captial building opening at Grimm & Co © Grimm & Co.