Taking Over the Place

Anna Francis was invited to give a speech and take part in a panel session under the theme 'Taking over the Place' at the 2025 Arts Council England National Conference, which took place at The Lowry, Salford on 3rd April, 2025. The panel focused on place-based development through cultural activity.

Description of Panel Workshop 'What does a laundrette, a canal and an abandoned pub have in common?
What happens when you empower communities to take over the place? These exciting, award nominated, original programmes, share how communities have led on the development and repurposing of local venues into unusual cultural
spaces. Anna Francis from The Portland Inn project (National Portfolio Organisation) in Stoke on Trent, will share an arts and community led retrofit of an abandoned pub as a demonstrator for wider neighbourhood renewal with a radical
100 year plan; Laura Jamieson from Left Coast Creative People and Places in Blackpool, talks about the unusual transformation of a laundrette and a public square; Laurie Peake from Super Slow Way Creative People in Places (Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn and Pendle) shares a community take-over of a canal with remarkable outcomes'