(Approx. 10 min read)
A Short Origin Story
Four years ago, after months of intense and joyful freelancing, I took a bold step and founded Local. As I shared in my previous blog post, Why Local?, this wasn’t a corporate strategy; it stemmed from a genuine belief. A belief that communities and creatives should play a significant role in shaping their environments.
I believe local culture is not merely an embellishment; it’s a vital civic foundation. If the existing systems didn’t support this work, we would create our own. Today, that belief has only grown stronger and more collective. We’ve learned, nurtured trust, and sparked imagination alongside communities in towns and rural areas.
This blog reflects on our first four years - the places, people, and projects that have made this journey possible. In the next post, I'll delve into our principles, values, and the evolving framework that drives our work.
But first, let’s celebrate what we’ve built together so far.
The People Who Built Local With Me
Before celebrating our projects and milestones, I want to acknowledge the remarkable individuals who have shaped Local’s journey.
This has never been a “me” story; it’s always been a “we” story.
In the beginning, Steven joined as our first Executive Producer, establishing the foundation for Local’s cultural democracy ethos and playing a vital role in the Living Room, Urban Room, and Stalybridge programmes. Charlie infused Glossop Creates with creativity and care, especially through our Winter Story Trail and Pairings residencies. While both have embarked on new adventures, their legacy remains embedded into our practice and values.
In early 2024, Caroline became our Operations Manager, providing clarity and commitment to quality, strengthening our systems and ensuring exceptional delivery across Derbyshire Makes and the Greater Manchester Creative Health programme, MYRIAD. Her growth reflects the power of belief in a shared mission, allowing the organisation to soar. Throughout this journey, Richard, our in-house photographer and quiet creative force (and my husband), has captured the essence of Local from the start, reminding us of our purpose.
And not to forget our community of artists and associates, in particular, Eve Middlemiss, Michelle Lyons, Sud Basu, Adam Buss and Michelle Collier.
As we embark on this next chapter, we’re excited to welcome Rizwan Iqbal as our Marketing and Engagement Lead, bringing new energy and ideas to deepen our community connections.
Thank you to everyone who has walked this path with us; your contributions are woven into our DNA and will always be celebrated.
Stalybridge: A Lesson in Love, Courage & Cultural Confidence
Our journey blossomed in Stalybridge, where from 2021 to 2024, we passionately led the cultural programme for the Heritage Action Zone, chairing the consortium and nurturing a shared vision for a town rediscovering its vibrant cultural voice.
The defining moment arrived when we proudly secured Greater Manchester Town of Culture status in 2022.
We courageously prototyped innovative engagement methods, like A Living Room - a welcoming lounge in the town centre - and Local / Lokal, an international photography exchange, alongside countless creative experiments that sparked imagination and civic pride. Stalybridge taught us that culture is not just a programme; it’s a heartfelt relationship requiring care, curiosity, and compromise..
Durham: Place Lab & The Power of Persistence
In Durham, we collaborated with an exceptional team of creative producers to craft a compelling UK City of Culture 2025 bid, honing in on our strength: innovative, test-and-learn civic engagement.
This journey gave rise to Place Lab, a dynamic county-wide network cultivating place-based experimentation with local partners and artists. Although we didn’t secure the title, here’s the twist: we emerged victorious in our own right.
The legacy funding empowered us to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study, shape the North East Devolution Deal, and ultimately secure a £2m Arts Council England Place Partnership. Impact isn’t always a trophy; it’s often found in support, patience, and trust.
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Derbyshire Makes: A County Full of Makers, Dreamers & Doers
Following our work on the Derbyshire Cultural Framework, Derbyshire Makes has grown from a spark of an idea and has blossomed into a vibrant county-wide three-year cultural commitment to our creative communities and the rich heritage of making (no-one can accuse of thinking small!).
We’ve collaborated with incredible partners and makers to shape this vision, design the programme, and bring it to life. From Women Who Make to MAKE Room, The Makory to Dare to Dream, it’s a dynamic festival of creativity that flows with the energy of the community. We’ve celebrated with glitter, solder, tears, and triumphs, crafting many handmade ideas filled with integrity and love.
Derbyshire, you are truly extraordinary (OK, we might be biased here!).
Treasured Partners Who Feel Like Team-Mates
We prefer to call them partners rather than “clients,” as that term feels too transactional for our collaborative spirit. These are our teammates - innovators, thinkers, and believers.
In Rochdale, we developed the Creative Innovation District strategy, inspiring Rochdale Creates through community-led methods including Urban Room. In Derbyshire, we shaped the £780k ACE Place Partnership bid alongside Derbyshire County Council and Sud Basu. We contributed to Kirklees’ Cultural Strategy with CTConsults and John Knell, evaluated the Greater Manchester Great Place programme which led to us supporting the successful £800k GM Creative Health ACE Place Partnership bid. And finally we've collaborated on creative hub feasibility studies in Bolsover, and Salford's “Whose Art, Whose Culture” creative evaluation.
A common thread connects us: trust, collaboration, creativity, and a shared belief that place-based culture is the future.
And Back Home, Always: Glossop Creates
We launched Glossop Creates in 2018, fuelled by the belief that change begins right at our front doors. What started as a gentle whisper - “What if Glossop had a space for its creative minds to flourish?” - has blossomed into a vibrant movement, a dynamic platform, and a thriving community.
We’re excited to announce our upcoming creative hub in partnership with Glossop Market! More on this soon.
This journey has required patience, building relationships, countless conversations in our favourite cafés, and challenging the status quo.
We are committed to this work because we call Glossop home, and we believe that creativity is essential infrastructure.
Some Personal but Professional Milestones
In 2024, I proudly completed a practice-based PhD - unfunded, self-directed, and fuelled by determination and belief.
This achievement has become a vital framework for creative civic engagement, laying the groundwork for future policies, practices, and partnerships. While the journey was challenging, and it’s already shaping what comes next.
This work has also opened doors to my current role as an AHRC Community Innovation Practitioner at the University of Huddersfield, where I’m dedicated to bridging research with real-world practice in meaningful and impactful ways.
Ultimately, research thrives when it connects with communities, places, and practices.
We Are Now a CIC!
After four inspiring years of going above and beyond, I’m happy to announce that Local now has a Community Interest Company (CIC)!
This milestone reflects our commitment to practicing purpose-led social impact. We’re dedicated to reinvesting our time, resources, and passion into people and places. Our mission goes beyond individual projects; we’re focused on creating lasting infrastructure that empowers communities. Together, we are building something greater than ourselves, and it feels incredibly rewarding.
Here’s to the exciting journey ahead as we continue to grow, innovate, and uplift those around us! Let's celebrate this new chapter together!
We Are 4. We Are Local.
With heartfelt gratitude, we celebrate everyone who has joined us on this journey - associates, designers, artists, producers, community leaders, and all the dreamers and makers who share our passion. Local is and always will be a collective effort.
As we step into our fifth year and launch our CIC, we’re excited to grow our core team and collaborate with even more brilliant individuals, creating opportunities for early-career practitioners and community producers to lead alongside us.
Together, let’s embark on this journey of imagination and growth, building a brighter future for everyone!
End note:
We’re excited to launch this journal to share inspiring case studies, stories of change, reflections on policy and place, and creative experiments. We’ll celebrate our wins, as well as the wobbles and what-ifs, because sharing knowledge empowers us all. We would like to open the invitation to anyone who would like to contribute to this journal - get in touch.
