Play, Power & Participation – Symposium

Join us for a day of conversation, creativity, and collective thinking as we explore cocreation, power sharing, and collaboration in participatory arts. The symposium brings together artists, cultural practitioners, freelancers, community partners, and organisations to share learning from the Play & Imagine programme and the All The Things exhibition. 
 
What to Expect 
Artist provocations 
A panel discussion on power and cocreation 
Interactive workshops 
Time to explore the current exhibition 
Collective reflection session 
Networking with peers across the sector 

Who is it for? Artists, engagement practitioners, producers, cultural organisations, community partners, commissioners, and anyone exploring participatory or collaborative practice. 

Pay What you Can model
 
Our Approach to Pricing 
We want the Play, Power and Participation Symposium to be welcoming, open, and genuinely accessible. The day is designed for artists, community partners, cultural workers, and anyone curious about cocreation. We know people and organisations hold different capacities and resources, and we don’t want cost to stand in the way of taking part. 
 
That’s why we’re using a PayWhatYouCan model. It’s simple, values led and based on trust. Your contribution at any level helps us deliver the event and ensure a wide mix of voices in the room. 
 
How It Works 
When booking, you’ll see a set of suggested tiers. Please choose the one that feels right for you or your organisation. There’s no need to justify your choice, and no questions will be asked. 
 
£50 Collaborator: For larger organisations, NPOs, HE partners and for organisations with stable budgets, core funding or support 
£25 Co-creator: For small and mid-sized organisations with limited resources
£10 Contributor: For independent practitioners, early career artists, freelancers or grassroots groups 
£0 Bursary: If any payment at all would prevent you from attending, please email us. We want you there. 

Why this matters 
Cocreation and power sharing are at the heart of All The Things and the Play & Imagine programme. A sliding scale pricing model reflects these values by: 

• recognising inequalities in the sector 
• redistributing access where it’s needed 
• trusting people to choose honestly
• enabling a richer mix of voices in the room  

Your contribution at any level helps us create a supportive, thoughtful space for shared learning, reflection, and imagination.  

A simple starting point is 

• Pay more if your organisation has steady income or reserves
• Pay less if you’re covering the cost yourself, or funding is uncertain
• Choose a bursary place if payment creates pressure