Future Arts Centres

Future Arts Centres We are a network of over 180 arts centres from across the UK.

We believe that, through offering outstanding artistic experiences for all in our communities, and by operating as robust social enterprises, arts centres present a fantastic model for the

📸 Our Freedom: Then and Now continues its nationwide tour this September, arriving at three new venues that helped shape...
04/09/2026

📸 Our Freedom: Then and Now continues its nationwide tour this September, arriving at three new venues that helped shape this powerful portrait of people, place and belonging.

You can experience the exhibition at:

• StoryhouseLive, Chester: 6 September – 4 October
• The Dukes, Lancaster: 6 September – 1 October
• The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, Havant: 8 September – 4 October

Bringing together photography from 60 locally led projects, the exhibition reflects on the freedoms gained 80 years ago at the end of the Second World War, and how communities across the UK understand freedom today.

Explore the full tour schedule: https://ourfreedom.org.uk/exhibition/

Our Freedom: Then and Now is delivered by Future Arts Centres in partnership with LibrariesConnected and Open Eye Gallery, supported using public funding by the UK Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport through Arts Council England.



(Image credit: Alicia Bruce with An Tobar and Mull Theatre, Isle of Mull)

01/09/2026

📸 JUST 3 DAYS LEFT!

Have you visited Our Freedom: Then and Now yet?

Our national touring photography exhibition is only here at Leeds Central Library until 3 September
Bringing together photographs from 60 locally led projects, the exhibition is a vibrant portrait of people, place and belonging, marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

✨ Free to visit during our opening hours.

If you’ve been meaning to come along, now’s the time! Don’t miss it. ❤️

A Place to Be ❤️You might have noticed we’ve started using these words a little more often when talking about The Witham...
01/09/2026

A Place to Be ❤️

You might have noticed we’ve started using these words a little more often when talking about The Witham.

‘A Place to Be’ is about more than what’s on stage or happening in a workshop. It’s about The Witham being somewhere you feel welcome, somewhere to meet people, try something new, spend time and feel safe.

One of the conclusions of some recent research from Future Arts Centres is that “conditions matter as much as programmes”. The atmosphere, accessibility, relationships with staff and simply how someone feels when they walk through our doors can matter just as much as what’s actually being delivered.

This is exactly what we mean when we say The Witham is ‘A Place to Be’

‘Something for Everyone’ reflected the huge range of things happening here and was a fantastic approach when trying to diversify our programme. ‘A Place to Be’ is about more than that and encapsulates the venue itself and the people who make it what it is.

If you're interested in reading more or understanding more about this research we recommend reading

https://futureartscentres.org.uk/model-of-change-identifies-how-arts-centres-deliver-transformational-change-for-communities-and-lives/

Arts centres change lives – and now there’s clear evidence of how.We’ve launched a new Model of Change that shows how cr...
26/08/2026

Arts centres change lives – and now there’s clear evidence of how.

We’ve launched a new Model of Change that shows how creativity and culture help people feel welcome, build confidence, connect with others, and find new direction over time.

From first visits to lifelong involvement, arts centres create the conditions where change becomes possible – for individuals, communities and places.

We’d love to hear your stories. How has your local arts centre made a difference to you, your friends or your family?

💬 Share your experiences below and explore the research: https://futureartscentres.org.uk/model-of-change-identifies-how-arts-centres-deliver-transformational-change-for-communities-and-lives/

(Photograph: MAC Birmingham. Photography by Greg Milner.)

12/08/2026

We're hosting the national touring exhibition Our Freedom: Then and Now in our Art Library at Leeds Central Library until 3 September.

This vibrant photography exhibition brings together images from 60 locally led projects, marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War. It's a nationwide portrait of people, place and belonging. Free to visit during our opening hours!

12/08/2026

Our Freedom: Then and Now 📷
11 August – 4 September 2026
Level Zero, Barnsley Civic

We are delighted to present Our Freedom: Then and Now, a vibrant national photography exhibition bringing together images from 60 locally led projects, marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

This exhibition features work from communities across the UK, exploring what freedom meant in this community in 1945 and how those ideas resonate today. These projects are combined to form a powerful nationwide portrait of people, place and belonging.

Developed by Future Arts Centres and Open Eye Gallery, the exhibition forms part of the wider Our Freedom: Then and Now programme. In total, 22 photographers collaborated with communities of all ages and backgrounds, inviting them to reflect on their own histories, experiences and identities.

Pop in to see the exhibition before it moves on.

📸 The nationwide tour of Our Freedom: Then and Now continues this August, with two new presentations in arriving in York...
10/08/2026

📸 The nationwide tour of Our Freedom: Then and Now continues this August, with two new presentations in arriving in Yorkshire.

The exhibition will be on display at:

• Barnsley Civic, South Yorkshire: 11 August – 3 September
• Leeds Libraries (Leeds Central Library), West Yorkshire: 11 August – 3 September

Created from 60 locally led photography projects, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the freedoms gained 80 years ago at the end of the Second World War, and how communities across the UK understand freedom today. Each venue on the tour contributed to the wider programme, with 22 photographers from Open Eye Gallery's Socially Engaged Photography Network collaborating with people of all ages and backgrounds to explore identity, history and connection.

After launching at the Southbank Centre earlier this year, the exhibition continues to travel to arts centres and libraries nationwide throughout 2026. Explore the full tour schedule: https://ourfreedom.org.uk/exhibition/

Our Freedom: Then and Now is delivered by Future Arts Centres in partnership with LibrariesConnected and Open Eye Gallery, supported using public funding by the UK Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport through Arts Council England.



(Image credit: Karina Lax Photography www.karinalax.com with Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield)

Today we're publishing the final report for Our Freedom: Then and Now.To commemorate 80 years since the end of the Secon...
31/07/2026

Today we're publishing the final report for Our Freedom: Then and Now.

To commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War, 40 arts centres and 20 libraries across the UK worked with artists, communities and local partners to explore a simple but powerful question: what does freedom mean today?

The programme brought together more than 10,000 participants and engaged over one million people through exhibitions, performances, workshops, conversations and creative projects rooted in local communities.

The report captures not only the scale of what was achieved, but what we learned along the way: the importance of trusted cultural spaces, the power of co-creation, and what can happen when local communities are given the opportunity to shape conversations about issues that matter to them.

A huge thank you to every participating venue, library, artist, partner and participant who helped make this possible.

📖 Read the full report: https://ourfreedom.org.uk/news/new-report-captures-the-impact-of-our-freedom-then-and-now/

Our Freedom: Then and Now was delivered in partnership with LibrariesConnected and Open Eye Gallery, supported using public funding by UK Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport through Arts Council England.

24/07/2026

☀️ Looking for ways to keep children and young people inspired, entertained and creative this summer?

Across the UK, arts centres are filling the holidays with opportunities to make, move, imagine and discover. From arts and crafts to dance, storytelling, film, theatre and hands-on creative workshops, there's plenty to spark curiosity and build confidence.

🎨 Whether you're planning a special day out or looking for regular holiday activities, your local arts centre could have just the thing.

✨ Take a look at what's happening near you and make creativity part of your summer.

📸 The nationwide tour of Our Freedom: Then and Now continues this July, with the exhibition arriving at two locations in...
13/07/2026

📸 The nationwide tour of Our Freedom: Then and Now continues this July, with the exhibition arriving at two locations in Scotland:

• Eden Court Theatre and Cinema, Inverness: 14 July – 6 August
• McKechnie Institute, South Ayrshire: 15 July – 9 August

Developed by Future Arts Centres and Open Eye Gallery, Our Freedom: Then and Now brings together images from 60 locally led projects. Together, these works form a powerful nationwide portrait of people, place and belonging, inviting visitors to reflect on the freedoms gained 80 years ago at the end of the Second World War, and how communities across the UK understand freedom today.

Explore the full tour schedule: https://ourfreedom.org.uk/exhibition/

Our Freedom: Then and Now is delivered by Future Arts Centres in partnership with LibrariesConnected and Open Eye Gallery, supported using public funding by the UK Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport through Arts Council England.



(Image credit: Anneleen Lindsay Photography with West Dunbartonshire Council, Clydebank)

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