‘We All Need Community’ – Reflecting on the Value of Shared Spaces, with Achates’ Director Caroline McCormick

Caroline McCormick, Director of Achates, reflects on how the pandemic has impacted our sense of community, and why we are all in need of shared spaces:

One of the legacies for the cultural sector of the pandemic is a renewed sense of ecosystem. Whilst the focus on economic value above all else which we have been encouraged to take in recent years was exposed we recalled the value of our community and of our colleagues and friends which we once held dear but had become positioned as competitors. 

Whilst the quotidian has very much reasserted itself since, we are all now looking for more opportunities to come together beyond the restrictive groupings imposed on us by art form, region, or scale of organisation. And whilst we are all unified in the idea of the value of the shared cultural experience, the opportunity to go beyond that experience and to build communities of interest can be limited.

Finding spaces where we can share our experience, think, reflect and respond together, is more vital than ever in the face of a challenging and rapidly changing environment in which we face many situations without precedent. These spaces can be hard to identify and too often they are places which reinforce old thinking and ideas. 

Achates Community will offer a vital space to allow just such a community of interest to flourish. With leaders of all levels from across the UK we will curate a conversation open to all professionals regardless of career stage or job title. A forum where our community can respond to the issues of the day and to provocations designed to challenge our assumptions and refresh our approaches as a result.

Not only will we host a flourishing community of income generation professionals, the Achates Community platform will also offer learning and support, and the Purposeful Leader programme, so every aspect of your development in income generation is covered. 

Join the Achates Community waitlist now. 

Have you been awarded an Achates Community Bursary? We will be announcing the winners in September!

Achates Community – Join for the resources, stay for the community.