Citizen Power PeterboroughPeople. Create. Change.

Jocelyn CunninghamDirector of Arts and Social Change

21st century enlightenment

21st century enlightenment

“We’re all in it together, whether we like it or not”

Peterborough resident

21st century enlightenment

Before Citizen Power

3 month scoping study of local needs:

Extensive literature reviewLocal strategies and public opinion data

Academic and public policy research on place-shapingCreative public participation approaches

Deliberative research 5 x workshops

Local people, community groups and third sector organisations

In-depth interviews 35 x discussions

Senior decision-makers across public and third sectors

• S

Starting from where you are at

Citizen Power Peterborough

Building the conditions for action

in partnership withthe citizens of PeterboroughPeterborough City Council

Arts Council, EastRSA

Citizen Power in action

Arts and Social Change

Arts and Social ChangeExploring how creativity and arts can be used to build attachment, participation and innovation at the community level

Three examples of cross sector working:

• Dialogue in Action

•Context Matters

•Take Me To

Text

‘ We believe that a stronger civil society lies in the experiences shared by a community and the opportunity for everyone to get involved, and that participating in the arts, crafts or cultural activities is often a first step towards greater civic engagement.’

Manifesto for the Arts

arts, crafts or cultural activities is often a first step towards greater civic engagemen

Manifesto for the Arts

Principles of engagement

• Avoiding ‘projectism’

• Promoting conversations of possibility

• Bringing together unlikely partners

• developing the ‘we’ not the ‘I’

“The shift we seek in the public conversation is from speaking about what

others should do, to speaking into the possibilities that we as citizens have the

capacity to create.”

Civic Engagement and the Restoration of Community; Peter Block

www.citizenpower.co.ukjocelyn.cunningham@rsa.org.uk