Citizens’ Assembly meets to connect themes and begin shaping ideas

Monday 20 October

This weekend the West of England Citizens’ Assembly met in Bristol for a day focused on connecting what they have learned from previous sessions and beginning to shape early ideas for recommendations.

52 citizens came together from across Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire to continue answering the question:

What would culture and creativity look like in the West of England if they were for everyone?

After two online weekends of place-based sessions exploring themes such as wellbeing, placemaking, skills and economy, this in-person day brought all the citizens together again under one roof. The focus was on linking evidence gathered so far, deepening understanding, and starting to identify priorities for the place-based priorities and the regional Cultural Plans.

The morning began with a welcome from the lead facilitators and time for citizens to reconnect, using conversation cards and small group reflections to share how they were arriving at the day.

The first session was a discussion on Culture and Activism, with James Sardi (Led by Donkeys) and Julz Davis (Curiosity Unlimited), exploring how cultural and creative practice can inspire change and civic participation. The conversation used a “fishbowl” format, encouraging participation, listening and reflection across the room.

This was followed by a short presentation from Rachael Fagan (Equity), who shared insights into the experiences of freelancers and performers, and the role of the union in supporting fair pay and representation. Citizens then worked in groups to reflect on what they had heard and to feed back key insights to the room.

After lunch, the Assembly moved into a series of interactive and deliberative activities. Citizens took part in a creative “snapshot scavenger hunt” to explore new evidence on topics such as education, inclusion, heritage, and volunteering.

The afternoon concluded with a World Café-style workshop, in which citizens discussed the four pillars of the existing West of England Cultural Plan – Wellbeing, Placemaking, Cultural and Creative Skills, and Creative Freelancers, Start-Ups and SMEs (the creative economy). Citizens explored key challenges, possible actions, and what progress might look like on issues they believe are most important.

Facilitators helped capture ideas and observations, which will now be used to support the next stage of the Assembly — identifying draft recommendations for both local and regional Cultural Plans.

The next Assembly day will be on Sunday 26 October, when citizens will work together on place-based priorities for the four areas engaged with this Citizens’ Assembly.