Join us for an afternoon of connection, creativity, and collaboration at Discover Bucks Museum, designed to bring together creative professionals and cultural organisations from across Buckinghamshire.
Event Details:
Date: 10th of July 2025 Time: 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM Location: Discover Bucks Museum, Aylesbury
This welcoming and purpose-driven session will begin with a light lunch and networking opportunity, followed by a short update from Bucks Culture on this year’s Open Weekend and the Wycombe Place Partnership. We will then be joined by special guest speaker who will introduce the work of Outdoor Arts UK and share inspiring opportunities for creative engagement in public spaces.
The afternoon will include opportunities to connect with peers, explore ideas for shared marketing and collaboration, and contribute content for Bucks Open Weekend. Participants will also be invited to take a guided tour of the museum’s current exhibition, Beyond the Stars, for inspiration and reflection.
This event is an excellent opportunity to:
Exchange ideas and explore joint opportunities for Open Weekend 2025
Learn from national insights on outdoor cultural programming
The Bucks Culture Creative Collaboration Conference took place in November 2024. The Conference successfully brought together professionals, creatives, and community leaders to explore the power of collaboration in the arts. Held at the newly opened Garsington Studios, the event provided an inspiring setting for insightful discussions, creative exploration, and networking opportunities. The conference aimed to facilitate meaningful conversations on the challenges and joys of creative collaboration while fostering new partnerships to enhance cultural engagement across Buckinghamshire.
The venue provided a beautiful backdrop to a cultural event that invited audiences to share insight into practice and disseminate learning to support future collaboration whilst providing opportunity for creative exploration.
The event was well attended and allowed Bucks Culture to work closely with new partners. The event supported sector-wide conversations surrounding the challenges and joys of creative collaboration both within the sector and beyond, and examined what it means to co-create with communities. The conference was established with the intention to connect, collaborate and co-create, an outcome we continue to pursue in the delivery of Buckinghamshire’s Cultural Strategy. Our 2024 event incorporated the inaugural Bucks Spark Award Ceremony, now set to be a regular feature of the cultural calendar.
We are proposing that future conferences be developed by a small group of key strategic partners working together to shape the format and programme the conference read more about the conference and feel free to send us your suggestions.
Process
Our partners, the board, the creative sector and the internal team were invited to make suggestions for the programme during board meetings, lead-in sector development sessions, and via the newsletter with a call for contributions surveyed online.
In addition to the open invitation for contributions the development of the programme was informed by feedback and evaluation from 2023, aiming to capture suggestions and implement changes to build a model better suited to the needs of audiences.
Three Words Analysis
This is what Chat GPT thought of responses to our ‘what 3 words describe your experience’ question.
The responses to the “three words” question reflect overwhelmingly positive experiences, with key themes emerging:
1. Inspiration & Engagement
Many attendees described the event as inspiring, engaging, thought-provoking, and enlightening. This suggests that the conference successfully delivered fresh perspectives and meaningful discussions, resonating with participants on both an intellectual and emotional level.
2. Networking & Connection
Words like welcoming, friendly, vibrant, connection, and collaborative indicate that the event fostered an inclusive and supportive environment for attendees to interact, share ideas, and build relationships.
3. Learning & Insight
Terms such as informative, insightful, educational, and paradigm-shifting reinforce the idea that the event provided valuable knowledge and challenged conventional ways of thinking.
4. Energy & Atmosphere
Words like dynamic, lively, fun, happy, and exciting suggest a positive and high-energy atmosphere, making the experience enjoyable beyond just the formal content.
5. Areas for Improvement
A few words, such as inaccessible, poorly attended, and tiring, indicate that some participants experienced challenges, possibly around accessibility, turnout, or event pacing. These could be key areas to address in future iterations.
Overall Takeaway
The conference was largely seen as an engaging and enriching experience, successfully fostering inspiration, connection, and learning.
Bucks Culture is proud to present Women of Culture, a networking and celebratory event in honor of International Women’s Day, bringing together women from Buckinghamshire’s cultural sector. This gathering offers a space to connect, exchange ideas, and champion women’s contributions in arts, heritage, and creative industries.
Join us on the 6th of March, in a space for Connection, Reflection, and Inspiration
More than just networking, Women of Culture is a space for reflection, discussion, and collaboration. Through engaging activities and thought-provoking conversations, we’ll explore women’s leadership, representation, and creative expression. While designed with women in mind, men are welcome as allies in fostering an inclusive, supportive sector.
Meet the Inspirational Women Leading the Conversation
At the heart of Women of Cultureare the inspiring voices of three incredible female leaders in Buckinghamshire’s cultural sector, each bringing a unique perspective on leadership, creativity, and advocacy for inclusion.
Rosie Axon, Founder of Chiltern Music Therapy, an advocate for music’s power in transforming lives. Betty Makharinsky, Founder of Vache Baroque, making Baroque music and drama more accessible. Vicky Hope-Walker, CEO of National Paralympic Heritage Trust, championing inclusion in arts and heritage.
Exploring Women’s Leadership, Voice & Expression
Rosie, Betty, and Vicky will lead a dynamic, interactive session that blends storytelling, music, and discussion, offering valuable insight into what it means to be a leader in the cultural sector.
Through artist-led activities and participatory sessions, the event will explore the significance of the female voice in music, movement, and leadership. Attendees will gain inspiration from the Female Founder Journey, where Rosie and Betty will share their experiences in building and sustaining cultural organisations, while Vicky will offer a deeper perspective on leading inclusion-focused initiatives and advocating for greater representation in the sector.
A Collective Commitment to Change
A key moment in the event will be The Tree of Insight & Intentions, where participants will have the opportunity to share how they have adapted their work to better support women in their fields and make a pledge for future action.
The event will close with informal networking over tea and coffee, providing a space to continue conversations, forge new connections, and build a stronger, more collaborative creative community in Buckinghamshire.
Elgiva Theatre, St Mary’s Way, Chesham HP5 1HR
Booking Link:
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