‘a space’ arts is now recruiting a pool of artists, writers and creatives of all disciplines from the global majority to join Futures Forum as as guest hosts to expand the reach and impact of this project and share their experiences and insights. The hourly rate for hosting is £150 per session when hosting and sessions will take place online, with an option for people to attend at GHT in person.

As an organisation, ‘a space’ arts are actively working to co-create new projects that empower previously under-represented artists and reflect the diversity of the communities and artists that live and work in the South Coast. This activity is part of our long term plan as an organisation to build new lasting relationships with creative people and to give more opportunities to previously under represented artists.

Futures Forum looks to create a safe, supportive environment for global majority artists at all stages of their careers. In creating this space ‘a space’ recognises that there is currently a serious imbalance in the representation of global majority artists in Southampton’s cultural offer as well as further afield. Futures Forum was created to address this imbalance and provide a space for artists of all disciplines to share ideas, meet other creative people and hear from sector leaders. This space exists to serve the needs, ambitions and aspirations of its members.

Sessions take place on the first Thursday every other month, with options to be in-person in the building or on zoom. Meetings take the form of an open discussion, with one key question decided upon by the host and circulated in advance as the stimulus for discussion. When hosting this question is your choice and will be posed to the group to start the discussion. The rest of the forum is then for its members to shape.

As a guest host you can bring any topic to the Forum. This space is confidential and safe for any topic to be discussed and for potentially difficult subject matter to be shared in a non-judgemental environment. In some cases this could be sharing a concern, a lived experience or barrier you face as a global majority artist, or a topic relevant of the time or which is important to you. We hope that those who have hosted will stay within this network to support other creative people of the global majority, to help expand this safe and supportive community and to benefit from a network of likeminded people.

Forum Dates: Thursday 3rd March, 6pm – 8pm , Thursday 5th May, 6pm – 8pm, Thursday 7th July, 6pm – 8pm, Thursday 1st September, 6pm – 8pm, Thursday 3rd November, 6pm – 8pm.

Further information: aspacearts.org.uk