Join us for a free online workshop, designed and delivered by FLUX Rotherham, one of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places Projects, Rotherham Museums, Arts and Heritage, and community partners, exploring how arts and wellbeing organisations can build meaningful, sustained and mutually beneficial relationships with diverse intergenerational communities.
In the context of the 2024 race riots and the increased racial and religious tensions experienced across communities, this workshop will create space to reflect on how cultural organisations can respond constructively, strengthen trust and work more effectively across difference.
The session will also explore intergenerational working in multicultural contexts, recognising that communities are not homogenous and that experiences, identities and perspectives can differ significantly between generations.
Flourishing Lives and the Anti-Racist Action Group (ARAG) in Arts & Wellbeing invite you to our latest free online discussion exploring anti-racist action, culturally responsive practice and inclusive approaches within arts and wellbeing services.
Recent events, including the 2024 race riots, have highlighted the importance of building trust, understanding cultural differences and creating spaces where communities can engage safely and meaningfully with arts and wellbeing organisations.
Despite growing awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion, many organisations continue to face challenges in engaging effectively with diverse minority ethnic and faith communities. Barriers can include limited cultural understanding, a lack of representative leadership, inaccessible programming, generational differences, and historical or ongoing experiences of exclusion and mistrust.
This structured, reflective and action-oriented session will support organisations to develop greater confidence in working across cultural, religious and generational differences, while considering how power, racism and inequality can shape relationships between organisations and communities.
The session will:
- Explore community projects in Rotherham – which include a much-loved community festival in the heart of one of the most socio-economically deprived and culturally diverse communities and an intergenerational collective supported by Rotherham Museums, Arts and Heritage to deliver programmes that bring together younger and older people in purposeful mutually beneficial activities.
- Explore how the experiences of different generations can shape attitudes towards culture, place, belonging and friendships.
- Examine culturally responsive approaches to programming and engagement.
- Explore how organisations can build trust following periods of racial and community tension.
- Support participants to develop long-term, trust-based relationships with different communities.
- Provide practical approaches to intergenerational engagement and shared learning.
- Develop confidence in working with communities as partners rather than simply as audiences or beneficiaries.
Interactive elements will include small-group discussions, reflective exercises, scenario-based learning and collaborative problem-solving. Participants will have opportunities to consider real-world situations and explore how organisations can respond constructively to racism, prejudice, cultural misunderstanding and intergenerational tensions.
Participants will leave with:
- A clearer understanding of the cultural, racial, and generational factors that can influence community engagement.
- Greater confidence in responding to the challenges highlighted by the 2024 race riots and subsequent community tensions.
- Greater understanding of how to work effectively across generations in multicultural communities.
- Practical approaches to building trust and sustaining relationships beyond individual projects or events.
About FLUX Rotherham
FLUX Rotherham create art projects and events with communities across Rotherham Borough. From festivals filled with music, dance and outdoor arts experiences to exhibitions, creative workshops and conversations. Through the power of the arts, we are the co-creators of a cultural movement that celebrates diversity, nurtures personal growth and creates lasting connections between people. Together we are crafting a legacy where art is within the reach of everyone and deeply rooted in Rotherham’s Community Spirit.
About Rotherham Museums, Arts and Heritage
Rotherham Museums, Arts and Heritage is the home of Rotherham’s stories. Sparking imagination and helping real stories to be found and told with Clifton Park Museum, Rotherham Archives and Local Studies, Boston Castle, and our five heritage sites.
About The Anti-Racist Action Group in Arts & Wellbeing:
The Anti-Racist Action Group in Arts & Wellbeing is a group of representatives from arts, wellbeing and race equality charities – including Flourishing Lives, HEAR Network, Race Equality Foundation, Decolonising the Archive, and Southwark Culture Health and Wellbeing Partnership – who partner with ethnically and culturally diverse organisations, facilitators, community groups, participants and people to share their knowledge, expertise, learning and lived experience to support the wider arts and wellbeing sector to explore anti-racist action, and develop wider engagement in the arts and mental health. The aim is to facilitate conversations, deepen understanding and identify opportunities for change.
This discussion is part of an ongoing series of workshops and roundtables kindly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and The Rayne Foundation which support Flourishing Lives and the Anti-Racist Action Group to explore a range of topics, issues and anti-racist actions to help advocate for inclusive practice across the arts and wellbeing sector.
Supporting people to participate:
We recognise it can sometimes be hard to attend events if you’re self employed or work part time, if you are a volunteer for a project or are the only person working in a community organisation, so we are offering a limited amount of financial support to ensure everyone who wants to attend is able to. For this event we can offer a £50 bursary to five participants. Unfortunately funds are limited so we can’t support everyone, and will be allocating on a first come first served basis once the criteria is met. When you register for the workshop you will have the option to apply for one of the bursary places. On review we will be in touch with those who have been successful in receiving the financial support.
This workshop is for any individuals or organisations that are interested in developing anti-racist action in their working practice – everyone is welcome! Join us to share ideas and advocate for inclusive practice and anti-racist action across the arts and wellbeing sector
Date:
Tuesday 10th November 2026, 11am – 1pm GMT