One week to go until our annual summit Murmuration
Our annual summit Murmuration is next week! Join us at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon on Wednesday 18th March as we continue to collectively strategise for culture in 2026. Last few tickets remaining – sign up here.
Murmuration is a space to report back on what we’ve achieved, as well as driving forward our collective impact, innovation and ambition. Through the lens of systems change, together we’ll be exploring what other sectors and leaders have done to innovate with audiences, workforce and equity; to inspire us to realise our collective ambition for the people and places of the West Midlands and take actions back to our work and organisations.
We’re excited to share the agenda and announce our full speaker line-up: Baroness Hodge of Barking (Author 'Arts Council England - an independent review'), Selina Thompson (Selina Thompson Ltd.), Cara Pickering and Kat Hughes (Culture Central Leadership Associates), Julie Temperley (Innovation Unit), Ed Fidoe (London Interdisciplinary School), Gurpri Bains (Hyphen8 Labs), Si Chun (West Midlands Combined Authority) and Katy Raines (Indigo).
Outline programme:
10.00am Arrivals, Registration & Networking Breakfast
10:55am Welcome: Ecology to Murmuration
11:00am Collective Futures for Culture *
Baroness Hodge of Barking
Selina Thompson Artistic Director & CEO, Selina Thompson Ltd.
11:45am A Collective Response
Kat Hughes & Cara Pickering, Leadership Associates, Culture Central
12:30pm Lunch
1:00pm Our Role in Innovation and Systems Change
Julie Temperley, Senior Associate, Innovation Unit
1:15pm Innovation for Audiences, Skills and Equity
Gurpri Bains, EDI strategist & Founder, Hyphen8 Labs
Ed Fidoe, CEO, London Interdisciplinary School (LIS)
Si Chun, Head of Research, Intelligence and Inclusive Growth, West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA)
Katy Raines, Founder & CEO, Indigo
2:15pm Workshop/Breakouts: Our Roles in Murmuration
3:15pm Where Next?
3:30pm - 4:00pm Networking & Refreshments
*There will be opportunities throughout Murmuration to ask speakers questions. We will be selecting questions in advance for Collective Futures for Culture: Baroness Hodge and Selina Thompson. If you're attending Murmuration next week, please submit your questions on this form.
You can find out more about the summit and speakers here.
Culture Central and the RSC look forward to welcoming you to Stratford-upon-Avon on Wednesday 18th March – join us at Murmuration with others working to create opportunities through culture for the people and places of the West Midlands.