The programme will include a series of headline one-hour sessions with an invited list of exceptional presenters. Each presenter will use their knowledge and experience to bring a range of perspectives on cultural mega-events and respond to questions from the audience. Each session will be chaired by a representative from the Coventry City of Culture Leadership Programme and will be recorded and available as a free resource.  

DAY ONE: Policy perspectives – Thursday 24th June 2021 

8.40: Summit opens - This mornings session will be chaired by Cory Barrett Creative Director & Coventry City of Culture Leadership Programme

8.45 – 9.00: Introduction to programme

• Cory Barrett Creative Director & Coventry City of Culture Leadership Programme

9.00 – 10.00:  Introductions: The road ahead

Session theme: What is distinctive about Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 and what difference will it make to the people, economy, landscape and future of the city?

• Laura Nyahue Creative Director, Maokwo Arts
• Martin Reeves Chief Executive, Coventry City Council 
• Martin Sutherland Executive Director, Coventry City of Culture Trust 
• Franco Bianchini AHRC Centre for Cultural Value, University of Leeds

10.00– 11.00: What are the opportunities for culture-led growth?

Session theme: What role can culture play in place-based cultural and social regeneration and what are the implications for policy, planning and funding?

• Julia Goldsworthy Director of Strategy, West Midlands Combined Authority 
• Laura Dyer Deputy Chief Executive Places and Engagement, Arts Council England. 

• Moira Sinclair CEO, Paul Hamlyn Foundation 
  

11.30-12.30: What difference can a year make?

Session Theme: How can cultural mega-events be planned and delivered to secure lasting change and impact; what are the potential social and economic returns in investment?

• Phil Batty Head of Ceremonies, Culture and Queen’s Baton Relay Commonwealth Games 2022, Executive Director Festival*UK 2022 and formerly Director of Public Engagement Hull UKCC17  
• Carrie Cooke Deputy Director, Festival, City of Culture and Major Events, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

• Clare Coghill Leader Waltham Forest Borough Council: 

12.30 -1.15 Break

This afternoons session will be chaired by Priya Gondalia, Youth Empowerment Coach and Community Connector

1:15 – 2.15 How can cultural mega-events actively challenge racial inequalities?

Session Theme: How can the scale of investment in cultural mega-events directly address racial inequalities through leadership, programming and talent development?

• Elizabeth Lawal Cultural Producer
• Doreen Foster CEO, Warwick Arts Centre 
• Shanaz Gulzar Chair, Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 Board  

2.15 - 3.15: Levelling up; how can ‘seldom heard’ communities and individuals impact on policy?

Session Theme: How can those individuals, communities and neighbourhoods that have historically benefited the least from public investment in the arts and culture be represented, heard and make a full contribution to our cultural life?

• Chenine Bhathena Creative Director, Coventry City of Culture Trust
• Louise Yates Director at Back to Ours, Hull  
• Chris Rolls Hull City of Culture 2017 & Coventry City of Culture 2021 learning consultant, 64 Million Artists

3.30-4.15: Research as cultural practice; supporting communities.

Session theme: understanding how research and art can bring new insights and hope based on the lived experience of vulnerable populations

Chaired by Jackie Hodgson: Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research, University of Warwick   

• • Emma Meehan, Elaine O' Sullivan, Nese Ceren Tosun & James Hoare Cooking Connections Coventry (Coventry University, University of Warwick & Groundwork)
  • Nadine Holdsworth: Homeless Monopoly University of Warwick

• • Daniele Lorenzini, Carolina Rito & Federico Testa: Life Futures Coventry University & University of Warwick

 

4.15-5.00: Research as cultural practice; giving space and voice to the seldom-heard

Session theme: How can researchers working with artists and local communities give voice, strengthen identities and promote new understandings of under-represented lives and experiences?

Chaired by Neil Forbes: Director Institute for Creative Cultures, Coventry University

• • Rosa Cisneros: Roma Allotment Coventry University

• • Saba Hussain, Kindy Sandhu and Shahnaz Akhter: Call the Midwives Joint Coventry /Warwick University

 

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DAY 2: Evaluation in practice Friday 25th June 2021  

 

8.40– Summit opens 

Today's session will be chaired by Emilie Lauren Jones, Poet and Community Connector

8.45 – 9.00: Day One recap and reflections 

• John Knell: Summit Rapporteur 

9.00- 9.10: Cultural priorities for UKRI research

Session theme: How can research support social change through culture? What difference can cultural research make to better understanding and improving people’s lives and aspirations?

•  Christopher Smith: Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and International Champion for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) 

9.15 - 10.15: The social value turn in cultural policy-making and funding requirements  

Session Theme: What are the implications for planning, delivery and the evaluation of cultural mega-events and other place-based cultural interventions that embrace a wide range of local social, health and environmental needs through co-creation and devolved leadership?

• Jonothan Neelands: Academic Lead for Research and Evaluation for the Coventry City of Culture Trust, (University of Warwick)

• Tarek Iskander: AD and CEO, Battersea Arts Centre
• Harman Sagger: Head Economist for Arts, Heritage & Tourism, Department of Culture, Media and Sport, Chair Coventry City of Culture Technical Reference Group

10.30-11.30: Re-balancing the social and economic value of culture

Session Theme: What innovations are needed in both economic and social values assessment methods to accurately capture the holistic value of cultural mega-events?

• Graham Russell: Amion Consultants, Economic Impact Assessment for Coventry City of Culture

• Mandy Barnett: Director of MBA Associates, Social Value Assessment of Coventry City of Culture 
• Ingrid Abreu-Scherer: Civil Society Lead, What Works Centre For Wellbeing, Technical Reference Group, Coventry City of Culture 

11.30-12.15: Research as cultural practice; supporting public health policy 

Session theme: How can researchers support and engage with the public health agendas and objectives for cultural mega-events through work that engages with the challenges of age and mental wellbeing?

Chaired by Karamjit Singh: Chair of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and Cultural Change Coventry

• • Deborah Biggerstaff & Michael Loizou: Digital Participative Visual Arts Intervention for People with Dementia University of Warwick/Warwick Medical School and Coventry University
  • Kerry Wykes & Sally Pezaro: Humans not Heros Coventry University
  • Oliver Scott: Route 10, Mercurial Dance

1.00-2.00: Developing place-based needs assessments to shape social and cultural policy and funding:

Session Theme: How can needs-led cultural investment and programming be planned and tracked by incorporating a wider range of data sources than traditional audience strategy data?

• Si Chun Lam: Insight Development Manager Coventry City Council 
• Mark Scott: Monitoring and Data Manager, Coventry City of Culture Trust 
• Katy Raines: Director, Indigo Consultants 

2.00-2.45 Making sense of evaluation – capturing the full impact of cultural activity

Session Theme: Is every place and cultural project different or are there emerging trends in evaluation that suggest a common framework that can shape policy and funding? Are there points of consensus widely shared by key stakeholders? How far do emerging points of consensus create fertile ground for the use of more common evaluation frameworks?’

Chaired by Jonothan Neelands: Academic Lead for Research and Evaluation for the Coventry City of Culture Trust, (University of Warwick)

• Ben Walmsley: Director, AHRC Centre for Cultural Value, University of Leeds 
• Eliza Easton: Head of Policy, Unit AHRC Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, Nesta, Coventry City of Culture Technical Reference Group 

 

3.00-4.30:The Road Ahead – plenary discussions 

Session theme: Based on the Summit presentations, what are the emergent directions and aspirations for future cultural mega-events and other place-based cultural projects? As we emerge from the pandemic what will the priorities be for future cultural policy, evaluation and funding?

Chaired by: Beatriz Garcia: Associate Director, Centre for Cultural Value, University of Liverpool

• Chenine Bhathena Creative Director, Coventry City of Culture Trust
• John Knell: Summit Rapporteur 
• Cory Barret: Creative Director, & City of Culture Leadership Programme 
• Glenn Burgess: Principal Investigator, AHRC Cities of Culture Network, University of Hull 
• Laura Nyahue Creative Director, Maokwo Arts

 

4.30-4.45 Closing messages