Invitation

Dear Friends,

Does London need a world class creation centre?

London is a world city. We will host the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and hope to do the same for the 2018 World Cup. However, the city does not have the space or capacity to produce large scale out door arts events. The Sultan’s Elephant, the event that wowed London in 2006, was produced in France. London has a wealth of creative talent and institutions but lacks the space, knowledge and facilities to produce work on a similar scale.

Do we need a Creation Centre? What will be made there? What artists will be based there? The models of creation centres in Europe aim to support and develop artists. They provide support and training and the intellectual and physical space to create work. They provide expert arts and technical support that allow dreams to come true. The UK has a history of producing dream makers such as Welfare State, but is a creation centre the next step? Partnerships including the support of local authorities, funders and artists are crucial in developing such spaces. Where should such a space be located and how will it connect to local communities?

In order to engage with these issues, I would like to invite you to an Open Space event over 18 and 19 March at Stratford Old Town Hall. The event will provide an opportunity for you and a range of other interested parties to discuss the question above and, where appropriate, make things happen.

Central to this Open Space event will be the use of Open Space Technology – a lively and interactive method of stimulating dialogue where you as a participant help set the agenda and deal with the areas and ideas that are most important to you. The event will be facilitated by Improbable who have pioneered the use of Open Space within the UK’s artistic community.

Scroll down to view the details of the event and how to RSVP to ensure attendance. We hope you can make it - please also forward on to colleagues and peers you think would be interested in this event.

Best wishes,

Clive Lyttle
Combined Arts and Touring
Arts Council England, London