This article explains what happens next for Citizens for Culture following the launch of the Citizens’ Cultural Plan. It sets out how citizens, cultural organisations, local authorities, funders and other partners will work together between February and May through a series of roadshow conversations across the West of England. These sessions are about turning the citizens’ plan into practical action, building on what already exists, growing partnerships, and identifying where new ideas or investment are needed, and about how people and organisations can take part in shaping that next phase. It’s about a 5 minute read.
What happens next for Citizens for Culture?
Citizens for Culture was designed by citizens in 2023 and shaped by hundreds of people from the creative, cultural and heritage sectors in online sessions between 2023 and 2025.
Following the launch of the Citizens’ Cultural Plan on 15 January, supported by the Mayor of the West of England, Citizens for Culture is now moving into the next phase: working together to turn a citizen-led plan into shared action across the West of England.
What is the basis for this next step?
From the outset, Citizens for Culture has been a collaboration between citizens and the people, organisations and institutions who shape cultural life in the region. These include cultural and heritage organisations, freelance creative practitioners, local authorities, funders, educators, community partners and many more.
In the world of Citizens’ Assemblies, we are all called “Actors” because we can all “act” on citizens’ plans. We can also come together and make the case for inward investment into the region to help build on the citizens’ plan.
The next step builds on this collective foundation.
What is the Citizens for Culture Roadshow?
From February to May 2026, Citizens for Culture will run a series of roadshow conversations across the region, bringing citizens and Actors together to explore what the Cultural Plan means in practice.
These sessions build on the relationships, evidence and shared understanding developed through the Assembly. Citizens and the Co-Lead Facilitator will join existing networks and partnerships, both in person and online, to explore how different parts of the Cultural Plan can be taken forward.
The roadshow reflects a shared recognition, voiced at the 15 January launch, that no single organisation or group can deliver the Plan alone but a regional network of Actors can.
What is the shared framework that will be used by Roadshow sessions?
Through conversations with the Mayor of the West of England and sector sessions in January, a simple framework emerged to support this next phase of work:
- Share: where work is already happening that aligns with the Cultural Plan and should be recognised, connected or amplified
- Grow: where there is a seed of something promising that could be developed through partnership or support
- Build: where something new may need to be created collectively
The aim is to use this framework to make the Cultural Plan useful in practice, helping us all see where work is already happening, where partnerships could grow, and where new ideas or investment could make a difference. This is about joining things up better rather than duplicating work.
What happens in a roadshow session?
Groups and networks taking part in a roadshow session will receive the Citizens’ Cultural Plan in advance, with an invitation to reflect on which priorities and actions resonate most with their work. Sessions typically include:
- Citizen perspective
An Assembly member shares their experience of the Citizens’ Assembly in terms of how it worked, what they learned from the sector and other Actors, and how decisions were reached. - Working differently together
A conversation about what it means to respond collectively to a citizen-led plan, acknowledging that this approach asks something different of all of us, while opening up new possibilities for shared ownership, influence and investment. - Exploring the Plan through Share · Grow · Build
A focused discussion on where participants see alignment with current work, where collaboration could deepen impact, and where there may be opportunities to build something new together.
How can I find out about what gets talked about at roadshow events?
Notes for each roadshow session will be shared so later roadshow events can build on the conversations and findings of earlier ones. (These will be posted on the Citizens for Culture website.)
Each session will contribute to a growing picture of how the Plan can be delivered across the region, and how the West of England can make a strong, joined-up case for future investment.
What is the Citizens for Culture Panel?
Alongside the roadshow, citizens are now shaping the next stage of their own involvement.
A Citizens for Culture Panel will be set up to help guide the early delivery of the Plan, supported by £100,000 from Esmée Fairbairn which will be used to test ideas and learn from what works. The shape and role of the Panel will be designed by citizens in two sessions in February.
The Citizens for Culture Panel will not replace existing decision-making structures. Instead, it will work alongside the region’s wider network of Actors, helping to focus learning, collaboration and action around the priorities and actions in the Cultural Plan.
The intention of the Citizens for Culture Panel is to support the implementation of the Citizens’ Cultural Plan. All the notes from Panel sessions will also be made available on the Citizens for Culture site.
Want to get involved in a Roadshow event?
If you’re part of a network or organisation and would like to host a roadshow conversation between February and May, we’d love to hear from you.
If you’re an individual or part of an organisation, you can also register your interest in joining a roadshow session in your local area as plans come together.
Email David, Citizens for Culture Project Manager at david@citizensinpower.com
