Everybody, Everywhere @ The Lowry, Salford
Arts In-Access is GM Arts’ 1-year research and development project, funded by Arts Council England, to kick-start a long-term radical shift to embed access, inclusion & collaboration into cultural commissioning across the city region. We will co-create a bold shared vision. Through training, partnerships and immersive learning AIA will unlock equitable opportunities for creatives with lived experience of ableism, racism, homophobia or classism, catalysing Greater Manchester to be a beacon of best practice in fostering & commissioning diverse talent.
To launch this project, we hosted an open network event, ‘Everybody, Everywhere’ at The Lowry in Salford, 18 November 2026. Approximately 60 people attended from across Greater Manchester, representing a range of lived experiences and backgrounds.
Content included:
Sharing Practice: Isabella So, Crea-tech commissioned artist
Panel Discussion, chaired by Louise Fazackerley, Poet and Producer with panellists Bianca Prince, Senior Producer, Stockroom, Tom Hogan, CEO, Uncurbed Collective, Loren Hardy, Artist, Caitlin Gleeson, Senior Producer, Fuel, Isabella So, Artist - ‘Can we survive/thrive in GM, as the arts & cultural workforce?’
Sharing Practice: Screening of ‘We Claim the Hall’, a film from Uncurbed Collective
Sharing Practice: Chris Wright, CEO, Future Everything
Sharing Practice: Screening and Discussion on ‘What about me?’ with Breaking Barriers’ Young Company
Reflections
We asked Hannah Alwen-Weston, Arts and Events Officer at Tameside MBC to share their reflections:
I came away from the GM Arts Arts In-Access launch event at The Lowry with some superb introductions to cultural organisations from across GM, as well as making contact with artists from within Tameside who I’d not come across before.
I also came away with much to reflect on from the panel talk and the group discussions afterwards. It was really put on my radar the struggle for mid-career or mid-age artists; and it was highlighted how hard it was to make that jump from emerging to mid-career.
It was interesting to discuss not just supporting the emergence of creative practice, but the sustaining of it over the course of a whole career. I have also noticed that the topic of artists ‘not just being able to survive but thrive’ in Manchester has cropped up at a few other artist-ran panel events I’ve been to since, so it is definitely a pertinent question on a lot of people’s minds!
These reflections are what I’m going to take back to my role, and help me inform how to best support artist development in borough, and operate my grants and methods of support. Much to do and much to think about!
Feedback
Following the presentations, attendees were asked to take part in table discussion: ‘If there was one thing within your power you would change to make GM more equitable, inclusive and accessible for artists, makers and producers to survive and thrive - what would it be?’
Attendees asked for:
Better access: physical building access, more accessible locations, a more easy and supportive application process, we’d like to see clearer guidelines - am I sure that I fit?
Fairer opportunities: the crisis of being “forever emerging”, get rid of the hierarchy where artists are at the bottom, emerging artist does not mean in 18 to 25, re-shift of focus back onto artistic process/practice, reworking networking into a more welcoming situation over food - we’d like to see a big dinner for Artists!
Security, longevity: what happens after opportunities close or end, leaving people and relationships high and dry after projects have to come to an end, some groups just need no changes and more funding that isn’t project based
More resource: more money, mentorship, more commissions that are not top down, support with funding bids
Better communication: there’s an information overload, is there a better way to share opportunities So more people hear about them and understand them, how to get opportunities to reach the widest range of people, is there an opportunity for something that combines all newsletter opportunities into one place, flyers
It was enriching to have so many voices in the room.
We are looking forward to building on these ideas through the Arts In-Access programme over the coming months.
