Programme Announced for Family Arts Conference 2021: What Now? What Next?

We are pleased to announce the brilliant speakers and fascinating topics they’ll be exploring in this year’s Family Arts Conference: What Now? What Next? taking place 16 – 17 November 2021.

Family Arts Campaign invites you for two days of information-rich sessions, lively discussion and energising key-notes. Connect with arts professionals from your region and across the UK, learn from peers making a significant impact, and be inspired by the creativity and resilience of the arts and cultural sector.

The online conference will explore the value of arts and creativity for families and will provide advice, support and inspiration for how the cultural sector can rebuild and re-focus post-pandemic.

Book your tickets now to secure a place
(Booking closes midnight Tuesday 9 November)

BE INSPIRED: Keynote presentations:

Join us to explore the important questions on all of our minds as we navigate a new landscape for family arts.

Henrietta Imoreh – Participation Officer, Become
Thinking about children and young people who are missing out…what’s next?

Sharna Jackson – Author & Curator
Do Black Lives *really* Matter in family arts?

Rebecca Blackman – National Director for Engagement and Audiences and Area Director for the Midlands, Arts Council England
What have we learnt about family arts during the pandemic?

Katy Raines – Founder & CEO, Indigo and Flo Carr – Associate, Indigo 
Rebuilding Family Audiences: What do families need from us now?

Dr Diretnan Dikwal-Bot – Research Fellow, De Montfort University and Amar Daxini – Research Fellow with the Talent 25 project
Mediation and Making Do: Online creative play at home among parents and early years children

LEARN: Workshops & panel conversations:

The conference is packed full of insightful conversations, with speakers sharing their learnings, discussing what’s next for the sector and offering guidance in critical areas.

        • How can arts and creativity support families’ health & well-being post-pandemic? Join Victoria Hume (Director, Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance) and panellists to discuss the impact on well-being for families and ways to continue support post-pandemic.
        • Reconnecting with your audiences – A practical session to help you reconnect with audiences as real people by starting with personas and empathy mapping. Led by Zahida Din (Digital & Marketing Consultant) and Helen Draper (Head of Marketing and Communications, artsdepot).
        • How do you balance income generation whilst remaining accessible for families? Robin Cantrill Fenwick (Chief Executive, Baker Richards) and Libby Papakyriacou (Consultant, Baker Richards).
        • Why work as a family arts network? Exploring the power of regional networks and collaborative partnerships in family engagement with the Family Arts Campaign Ambassadors.
        • Providing support for families with additional needs – what have we learnt? The closure of public venues and the lack of sensory opportunities have changed the course of support for families across the country. Join Fantastic for Families nominees Oily Cart and MK Gallery to discuss what’s next for families.
        • What is the post-lockdown ‘direction of travel’ in delivering creative arts activities for early years children? Dr Jamie Harper (Senior Research Fellow, Talent 25), Zoe Challenor (Founder & Director, B’Opera) and Heather Armstrong (Head of Early Years Development, Starcatchers)
        • Creative opportunities for and with older people – what’s next? Join Dr. Virginia Tandy (Director, Creative Ageing Development Agency) and Fantastic for Families Age-Friendly Outreach Award nominees to share learnings of adapting engagement strategies over the pandemic to broaden opportunities for older people.
        • How can we create diverse and representative family arts experiences? Award winning children’s writer, Sharna Jackson will chair a panel discussion on how arts organisations can become more inclusive and representative of global majority audiences.

      CONNECT: Networking & discussion opportunities:

      During the conference, there will be opportunities to connect with peers, discuss topics important to you and share experiences. You can join in on 1-to-1 networking sessions or attend a group discussion.

      Day 1:

      • 1-to-1 Networking sessions
      • Re-connecting with your Audiences
      • Health and Wellbeing for Families
      • Christmas Family Panto Season
      • Digital Engagement
      • Intergenerational Work
      • Recommendations for Family Content
      • Working in Partnerships to Reach Disengaged Families


      Day 2:

      • 1-to-1 Networking sessions
      • Meet like-minded delegates from your region with the option to join sessions to build up your regional contacts and support network!

    • Fantastic for Families Awards

      As part of the conference, we will be announcing the Fantastic for Families Award winners in an online ceremony on Tuesday 16 November, 7pm.

      Celebrate the outstanding arts provision provided to families during the pandemic. Be inspired by the creativity and resilience of our sector and the incredible work being carried out by artists, producers and cultural organisations across the UK.

    • Haven’t booked your conference tickets yet? Don’t miss out on the Family Arts Conference 2021, book now to secure your place. Tickets must be booked by Tuesday 9th November.

12 November 2021