In Certain Places, University of Central Lancashire (2025)
Feed is an arts-based project that promotes inclusive, sustainable approaches to infant feeding and public space. Working with cultural venues, public health teams, artists and communities, the project aims to create opportunities for people to share their experiences and challenge negative social attitudes towards human milk and mothering.
FS Creative have been commissioned to facilitate a shared learning event with curators and public health professionals alongside interviews, data analysis and evaluation.
Heart of Glass (2023 – 2025)
We are currently working with Heart of Glass to support the evaluation of two projects. Strong Women is a mural project highlighting the untold stories of local women, created by mosaic artist Carrie Reichardt, in collaboration with communities in St Helens and Knowsley. Speculative Futures, funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, is a three-year exploratory research and development programme working with young people, multi-disciplinary artists and youth focused organisations. Centering the voices and experiences of young people in St Helens, it creates meaningful opportunities including enquiry-led commissions, co-curated events and learning resources. We are delighted to be working with Debbie Walker as an FS Creative associate on the evaluation of this programme.
St Helens Library Service / St Helens Borough Council (2023)
In April 2023 we were appointed as Creative Producers for the Community Grant strand of St Helens Library Service’s Creative Underground project, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). This programme paid tribute to the Borough’s long history of creative activity, through which we supported nine local community groups to deliver a series of projects showcased as part of Heritage Open Days. In July 2023, we were appointed as Creative Producers of St Helens Borough of Culture Open Grants programme to support 13 arts and heritage projects including comedy, poetry, storytelling, photography and creative mindfulness walks.
Wigan Council (2022 – 2023)
Funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Culture Fund, FS Creative was commissioned by Wigan Council to produce A New Exchange in partnership with The Turnpike Gallery. The six month programme built on the foundation, success and legacy of The Turnpike CIC’s ‘Making of Us’ (2020 – 2022) with a continued focus on artist development, co-creation, collaboration and community engagement. Underpinned by a number of key principles that shaped the success of ‘Making of Us’, notably reflective practice, care, diversity and inclusion, the programme was delivered through successful long-term partnerships with Wigan Targeted Youth Support Services, True Colours CIC and The Together Trust.
Mark Devereux Projects (2021 – 2022)
Mark Devereux Projects (MDP) commissioned FS Creative to support organisational development. Through a combination of facilitating, advising, mentoring and coaching, we successfully guided the team through a series of conversation-led processes to help unearth the fundamental aspects of MDP and build a sustainable plan for the future.
The Turnpike (2020 – 2022)
FS Creative was commissioned by The Turnpike in 2020 to manage the delivery of Making of Us, an artist development programme for 16 early to mid career socially engaged artists who live and work in Greater Manchester. Funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Culture Fund, the project was delivered through partnerships with Wigan Targeted Youth Support Services, True Colours CIC and The Together Trust. Combining expertise in arts, social care and education, the programme shared learning across sectors and developed new ways of working. The artists worked collaboratively to co-create projects with vulnerable young people, while at the same time undertaking an intensive programme of training, mentoring and peer-to-peer learning.
CVAN NW (2021)
CVAN NW commissioned FS Creative to undertake a period of practical and strategic mentorship and training in April and May 2021. Drawing on FS Creative’s previous work with this client, the purpose of the consultancy was to restore CVAN NW’s capacity to communicate more effectively with the sector.
The Birley (2019 – 2020)
The Birley commissioned FS Creative to undertake a strategic review of their organisation. Following a process of research and consultation we produced a 5 year report detailing The Birley’s achievements up to 2020 and areas for future growth and opportunity.
Museumand (2019 – 2020)
FS Creative worked with Museumand to provide consultancy support that included a successful funding bid to the 2020 Windrush Day Grant Scheme.
Contemporary Visual Arts Network (2014 – 2019)
Regional Network Management (2014 – 2019) – We jointly managed the Contemporary Visual Arts Network NW (CVAN NW) a network of over 60 members ranging from National Portfolio Organisations to artist-led spaces across Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire and Cumbria.
This work included strategic planning, programme delivery, communication and advocacy, brokering partnerships, facilitating research & consultation, budgeting, fundraising, evaluation, and engagement with national CVAN initiatives.
We managed the network through significant change; initiated a new strategic pan-northern partnership with CVAN networks in North East and Yorkshire/Humber; launched a new artist bursary programme; devised and delivered sector research and development trips; and developed new partnerships with key organisations including National Trust.
Art: ADDS Project Management (2014 – 2016) – We fundraised for, and delivered CVAN NW’s first large-scale cross-regional project producing artist development, critical writing and young people programmes in collaboration with over 30 partners. These included Bluecoat, Liverpool Biennial, The Whitworth, Castlefield Gallery, Islington Mill, University of Salford, The Double Negative, Lancashire County Council, Art Gene and Lancaster Arts.
The project realised greater connectivity across the region’s visual arts sector; increased talent development opportunities for artists and arts professionals, positively influenced key regional stakeholders, raised the profile of the region’s visual arts offer, engaged new audiences, and launched a new critical writing publication “On Being Curious: New Critical Writing on Contemporary Art from the North West of England”.
Image: The Birley
FS Creative 