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PSYCHOSOCIALRESEARCHUNIT

QualitativeEvaluationoftheSuperSlowWayProgramme

2015-2017

EXECUTIVESUMMARY

ANDPART1

LynnFroggett,JulianManley,JohnWainwright,AlastairRoyPsychosocialResearchUnitUniversityofCentralLancashireCorrespondence:lfroggett@uclan.ac.uk

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ContentsEXECUTIVESUMMARY.......................................................................................................3

Introduction...............................................................................................................................3Background....................................................................................................................................3Structureofthereport..................................................................................................................3ActionResearchandMethods.......................................................................................................4ChallengesfortheProgramme......................................................................................................4Programmeresponsetothechallenges:overview.......................................................................5Communitycommissionsandresidencies.....................................................................................5SignatureCommissions.................................................................................................................6Strategiesforreachingnewaudiences..........................................................................................6Summaryoutcomes.......................................................................................................................7

PART1...............................................................................................................................9Introductionandbackground.....................................................................................................9

Theprogrammepartnershipandtargetcommunities..................................................................9Backgroundconditions..................................................................................................................9Programmestaff..........................................................................................................................10Generalaims................................................................................................................................10Challengesfortheprogramme....................................................................................................11Strategicresponsetothechallenges...........................................................................................11Thirdspaceandsocialartspractice.............................................................................................12Methodology...............................................................................................................................12Informants...................................................................................................................................13

SuperSlowWayandtheLeedsandLiverpoolCanal.................................................................14TheLeedsandLiverpoolCanalassettingfortheprogramme....................................................14Animationofthecanalascivicandleisurespace.......................................................................14Thecanalasaculturalresourceandvenue:canalfestivals........................................................14Re-imaginingtheCanal................................................................................................................15SuperSlowWayandtheFutureoftheCanal..............................................................................15Audienceengagementanddevelopment...................................................................................16Encounteringthearts‘slowly’andinsmallthings......................................................................20Fromlocaletocommunityofplace.............................................................................................21Artandcare.................................................................................................................................23Interculturalcommissioningandpractice...................................................................................23

Conclusions..............................................................................................................................24Diversityofprovision...................................................................................................................24Diversityofparticipantsandtargetaudiences............................................................................25Localownershipofthecanal.......................................................................................................25The‘Slow’Way............................................................................................................................25Heritageandartaschangeagent................................................................................................26Partnershipworkingforfuturedevelopment.............................................................................26SupportingsociallyengagedPractice..........................................................................................26Extendingthereachofthearts...................................................................................................26

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EXECUTIVESUMMARY

IntroductionSuper Slow Way is the Creative People and Places (CPP) programme for East Lancashire madepossiblebyaninvestmentof£2millionfromArtsCouncilEngland.TheSuperSlowWaypartnershipismadeupoftheCanal&RiverTrust,Newground,theLocalAuthoritiesofBlackburnwithDarwen,Burnley,PendleandHyndburnandArtsPartnershipPennineLancashire(APPL).Thisreportpresents findings fromthequalitativeevaluationof theprogrammeundertakenbythePsychosocial Research Unit at the University of Central Lancashire. It updates the interim reportwhichdocumentedtheprogrammeasithasdevelopedinitsfirstyearanditincludesanoverviewofthesecondyear,itschallengesanditsmostsignificantachievements.BackgroundAtitsoutset,theprogrammetookinspirationfromtheslowmovingwatersandnarrowboatsoftheLeedsandLiverpoolcanaltodevelop‘slowart’attentivetotherhythms,vernaculartraditions,builtenvironmentandlandscapeofthecommunitieswholivedalongit.Havinginitsfirstyearestablishedthe canal and its architecture as backdrop and site of intended cultural renewal, the programmefocussed stillmore intensively in the second year on industrial heritage, especially in the formoftextilemanufacturinganditssignificanceforidentity,belongingandplace.SuperSlowWayhasendeavouredtore-imaginethecanalanditsindustrialbuildings,manyofwhichremainforthemomentempty,notmerelyassitesofpost-industrialdeclineanddejectionbutinamomentoftransition,aspotentialplacesofculturalregenerationanddevelopingsocialcapital.Thishasbeenthebasisofitssuccessfulproposalforsecondstagefunding,anditsbusinessplanmovingforward.StructureofthereportThereportisdividedintosectionsforeaseofhandling.Itincludes:

Part 1. The background, challenges, achievements and summary outcomes of theprogramme. It draws on case studies and vignettes presented in part 2, which werecompletedinthefirstyear,andpart3whichwerefinalisedinthesecondyear.

Part2.Thecompletedcasestudiesfromyear1

Part3.Thecompletedcasestudiesfromyear2.Part4.isacontributiontothinkingabouthowbesttosupportartistsandprogrammestaffinthis new and challenging area of socially engaged practice. It identifies the benefits and

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drawbacks of four different models that Super Slow Way has used and it offersrecommendationsthatcouldhelptooffsetsomeofthepressuresonstaffandartists.Part 4 also presents a write up of a visual matrix held on an awayday for artists in thesummerof2016.Thishelpstoilluminatesomeoftheimaginativeandemotionaldifficultiessomeoftheartistsfacedinworkingontheprogramme.

Appendix:MethodologicalNote

ActionResearchandMethodsSuperSlowWaywasconceivedfromtheoutsetasanactionresearchproject, in linewiththeCPPprogrammeasawhole.TheevaluationwasdesignedtosupportthisaimandfindingshavebeenfedbackintotheprogrammeiterativelythroughreviewmeetingswiththeDirectorandstaffteam.Thistook place more frequently in the first year which demanded a steep learning curve on theopportunitiesandchallengesofworking in thearea. In the firstyear therefore therewasastrongemphasisonartisticandsocialprocessandonanalysingandarticulatingindetailtheprogressofalargenumberofprojectsmanyofwhichweresmall scale,experimental, targetedatvulnerableorhard-to-reachgroups.Onalargercanvastherewasalsoanoverviewofthemorecomplexsignaturecommissionsandtheirstrategicsignificanceintheprogrammeasawhole.Thebasisofourevaluationhasbeena seriesof case studiesof commissionedprojectsof varyingcomplexity, interviews with artists, key stakeholders, Super Slow Way staff, audiences, partnerorganisationsandpublics.Withinanactionresearchframe,wehaveusedparticipantobservationtoexperiencetheprogrammeforourselves,ethnographic(observational)dataandanewgroupbasedmethodforassessingaudienceexperiencecalledthevisualmatrix. ChallengesfortheProgrammeInaddressingtheseover-archingaimstheprogrammehasfacedconsiderablechallenges.

• Astretchofcanalwithvariableassetsanddrawbackswhichincludesitesofpost-industrialdereliction,areasofsemi-ruralnaturalbeauty,andindustrialheritage.

• Thescarcityofpre-existingcanalusercommunities,suchasboaters,investedinthecanalasasafeandattractivepublicspace.

• Amajorpartner–theCanalandRiverTrust–yettoelaborateaculturalpolicy;thereweremixedviewsamongitsstaffonthevalueofanartsprogrammeasaregenerativestimulus.

• Low incomeand impoverishedcanalside targetwards for theprogramme–manyof themdirectlysufferingtheeffectsofde-industrialisation.

• Lowlevelsofculturalattendance,andlowexpectationsofwhatitmightachieve• Little knowledge outside of the communities themselves of which models of cultural

participationmightbeappropriatefortheSouthAsianpopulation.• Littleexperienceamongthegeneralpublicofculturalinvestment,orsocialartspractice,and

thereforelittleappreciationofitspotentialbenefits.• Fracturedinter-communityrelationsandanti-socialbehaviorinsomeareas.

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• A number of mono-cultural white British and South Asian heritage neighbourhoods (ofmainly Muslim faith), with little cross-cultural contact and a recent history of inter-communitytensions.

• Different agendas ofmembers of the consortium, someofwhomwould have liked SuperSlowWaytooperateprimarilyasafundingsourcecompensatingforpreviousdisinvestmentbyLocalAuthorities (whoalsovaried in thedegree towhich theywereable tocontributefinanciallyandprofessionallytotheprogramme).

• CompetingprioritiesbetweentheLocalAuthorities,whowouldhavewelcomedtowncentreinitiatives,andtheCanalandRiverTrustwhosefocusremainedonthecanal.

• A delayed start to the programme which meant that that it was under pressure tocommission work very quickly once it moved into delivery phase – imposing intensepressuresonprogrammestaff.

Programmeresponsetothechallenges:overviewThroughoutthereportweattempttoshowhowSuperSlowWayhasconfrontedthesechallengesthrough

• Evolvinganincreasinglycoherentvisionfocusedontheconceptandpracticeof‘slow’.• Developing a three-pronged commissioning strategy of large signature commissions that

would achieve impact of scale; residencies hosted by local community groups ororganisations;andcommunitycommissionsdeveloped through local resources,artistsandorganisations.

• Focusing on the canal as a shared physical asset and potential connector betweenneighbourhoods,communitiesandindustrialheritagesites,especiallytextilemanufactureasasocio-culturalconnector.

• Usingarttodeveloprelationshipswithandbetweenthecommunitieswholiveadjacenttothecanal.

• Creating opportunities for cross-cultural encounter and dialogue through art that crossesculturalboundariesandtraditions.

• Developing a socially inclusive arts practice with particularly vulnerable and marginalisedgroups.

• Workingwithlocalsmallartsorganisationsandindividualswhoareembeddedinthearea,inthesensethattheyliveandworkinitandtheirpracticehasdevelopedwithinit.

• Raising the profile of the arts locally by bringing in artists of national and internationalreputationtoworkwith localorganisationsandcommunitiesbyrespondingtotheculturalandeconomichistoryandassetsofpeople,builtenvironmentandlandscape.

CommunitycommissionsandresidenciesInthefirstyearSuperSlowWayfocusedonproducingcommunitycommissionsthatwereproducedand supported by the Super Slow Way community coordinator and residencies where localorganisationswereoffered theopportunity tohostanartistof their choice.Theprocesswasveryspecific to each project in question and examples are documented in the case studies. In theirdelivery both community commissions and residencies encountered conditions that werechallengingforartistsandprogrammesupportstaffalike,astheyadaptedtotheunfamiliarculturalterritory of Pennine Lancashire and the process of creating art with people who had never

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experiencedanythinglikeitbefore.Theparticularchallengesofworkingintheareavariedaccordingto theproject as the case studieswill show. These community basedprojects and residencies, aswell as producing outcomes for specific target communities also became sites of innovation andlearningfortheprogrammeitselfandforparticipants.Akeylearningpointwasthatshort-termprojectswithstrongfocusonparticularartisticoutcomeswereoftenfrustratingforartistsandparticipantsalike.Longertermprojects(suchasTheEgg,asixmonth residency Part 2.) which had time to embed themselves and work emergently withcommunities weremore successful in establishing the relationships that overcame obstacles andallowedtheworktoflourish.Italsobecameclearjusthowchallengingsomeofthesettingswereforsociallyengagedpracticeand the considerable strainartists found themselvesunder.A sectionofthereport(Part4.) isdevotedtoexploringfourdifferentmodelsthatSuperSlowWayadoptedforworkingwithartistswhowishtodosociallyengagedwork.We conclude there ismuchmorework tobedone in theArts Sector generally in articulating thesupport and skills required to sustain such practice. Besides its commitment to action research,SuperSlowWayhassupportedtheFacultyofSocialArtsPractice,ledbyKerryMorrisonfromInSituand Chrissy Tiller, along with three other CPP’s who share an interest in the development ofknowledgeandskills requiredofpractitioners in the fieldofsociallyengagedpractice.TheFacultywasorganisedaroundaseriesofresidentialweekendswhereapracticalcomponentwascombinedwithcriticalthinking.The appended selection of case studies documents learningwithin projects aswell as evaluating,specificoutcomesandwhateachprojectcontributedtotheprogrammeasawhole.SignatureCommissionsLargerscaleprojectssuchasTheKinaraFestival,RhapsodyfortheLeedsLiverpoolCanalandShapesofWaterSoundsofHopeservedtoextendthereachoftheprogrammetonewaudiencesinyear1,to raise itsprofile locally, andparticularly toengage thediverse communitiesofmulti-ethnic EastLancashire.SoundsofWaterShapesofHopewas themostambitiousand inmanyways themostchallengingproject intheentireportfolioandspannedalmosttheentirearcontheprogramme.Itwasbasedonanencounterbetweenvocaltraditions(Dhikr,aformofSufichant,andShapeNote,also a form of chantwith distant roots in Lancashire’s nonconformism) and a parallel process ofcommunitydevelopment. It set inmotionasocialprocessof re-configuring inter-cultural relationsthrough ‘community conversations’ between white British and South Asian Heritage and is thesubjectofasubstantialandextendedcasestudy.ThesecondyearalsosawtheproductionofFabrications,afestivalthattookplaceintheAutumnof2017focussednotmerelyontextileartbutasartists’responsestotextiles.Thisisalsosubjectofacase study (Part 2). The focus onmanufacturingwas intensified byThe Festival ofMaking whichdrew crowds to the city centre of Blackburn over theweekend of the 6th and 7thMay 2017. Thehistorical significance of partition for migrant workers from the Indian sub-continent and theirfamilieswascommemoratedinHome1947inBrierfieldMill.StrategiesforreachingnewaudiencesSuperSlowWayhastakenonthechallengeofprogrammingforthespecificneedsandinterestsofaudiences.Ithas

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• addressedthedecayingphysicalandbuiltenvironmentandcelebratedthecanalasregional

heritagewithcivicpotential (TheEgg, idlewomen,ARhapsody to theLeedsandLiverpoolCanal,BurnleyCanalFestival,Harkat,HuggingtheCanalandTheIslandofMillHill,CircleofFriends)

• focussedonindustrialheritageandtextilemanufacturingwhicharecentraltothepeople’sunderstanding of place, history, identity and awareness of current and future prospects(Fabrications, Festival ofMaking, Home,Metis-World Factory, Shapes ofWater Sounds ofHope)

• commemorated events of historical importance to identities and histories of migration(Home)

• countered through art and inter-cultural practice the divisive racialisation of difference(Kinara,ShapesofWaterSoundsofHope,idlewomen,CircleofFriends,Home,VerddeGris)

• included marginalised, vulnerable and under-resourced groups (idle women, Circle ofFriends, Verd de Gris, Men Who Care, Nightsafe, Beyond Labels, Shared Threads at theMechanics)

• supportedandexploredthreatenedidentitiesofsettledandmigrantcommunities(TheEgg,TheIslandofMillHill,Harkat,ShapesofWater,SoundsofHope,Kinara,Home)

• begun thework of regenerating locality through place-making and heritage (The Egg, thePavilionCommunityCaféinNelson,Fabrications)

• recognised and developed through contemporary art, existing traditions and vernacularcultural forms (Hugging the Canal, Burnley Canal Festival, Blackburn Canal Festival, thePavilionCommunityCafé,ShapesofWaterSoundsofHope,Metis-WorldFactory)

• brought artists of international repute and ambition to East Lancashire (Kinara, Shapes ofWaterSoundsofHope,Harkat,ARhapsodytotheLeedsandLiverpoolCanal, the IslandofMillHill,Metis–WorldFactory)

Summaryoutcomes1. Through the partnership with the Canal and River Trust, Super SlowWay has raised

interestinandawarenessofthecanalanditspotentialasacivicandleisurespace,localpublic asset andvisitor attraction. Thishas createdaplatform inpublic consciousnessforthesecondphaseofSuperSlowWay,startingin2018

2. Theprogrammehas stimulatedagreatdealof local interest in industrialheritageandparticularlytextilemanufacture,animportantcontributiontoplace-making

3. Super SlowWay has successfully delivered an intensive programme of arts activity toEastLancashire in2016and2017,withmajorsignaturecommissions(ShapesofWaterSounds of Hope, The Kinara Festival; a Rhapsody to the Leeds Liverpool Canal;Fabrications). These signature commissionshaveestablisheda recognisableprofile fortheprogrammeandsignalleditsstrategicprioritiesinthearea

4. By targeting communities who live close to or along the canal (through for example,Island ofMill Hill, The Egg,Harkat), ormake use of it for specific needs (for exampleCircleofFriendswithpeoplewithdisabilities),theprogrammehasraisedawarenessofthecanalasapublicresource

5. The programme has created opportunities for conversations and for a culturalencounterbetweencommunitiesbydevelopinginnovativeandambitiousformsofinter-culturalpractice,commissioningfortheethnicallydiversepopulationandreflectingthedifferent culturalneedsandpreferencesof theSouthAsianheritageandwhiteBritishcommunities

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6. Ithasworkedwithsmallartsorganisations,capitalisingontheirexistingnetworksandlocalknowledge,offeringthemanopportunitytohostartistsorprojectsoftheirchoice.Thishasraisedcapacityandstrengthenedthelocalartsecology.Insomeinstances,thecommissionshave stretched theseorganisationsbeyond their comfort level.However,intheprocesstheyhavegrowninconfidenceandcapacity.ThepartnershipwithInSitu,a long standing arts organisation embedded in Pendle, has been of particularimportanceandtheorganisationhassubsequentlygainedNPOstatus.

7. Therehasbeensignificantprogress inbuildingaudiences for contemporaryart inEastLancashire. Feedback forms and rapid capture interviews have confirmed that somepeople have experienced contemporary art for the first time andwant to repeat theexperience.Therehasbeenpublicrecognitionandacclaimforthequalityofexperienceinmostoftheprojects.Initiativeswhichofferopportunitiestotrythingsouthavebeenparticularlypopular.Buildingaudiencesfor ‘bigticket’eventssuchasRhapsodyfortheLeedsandLiverpoolCanalismorechallengingasthereislittlelocalcustomandpractice.

8. Intimesofpoliticalcrisis,artprojectshaveprovidedsafehavensofcreativity,whichwehavedenominated‘thirdspace’forespeciallyvulnerablesectionsofthecommunity,forexample,politicalrefugees,asylumseekersandlong-termmalecarers.ForsomepeopleSuperSlowWayhasfilledavacuumcreatedbythecurrentsocialclimate inwaysthatareenliveningandempowering.

9. Theboldandwide-rangingprogrammeof Super SlowWayhas contributed to theon-going debate on the role of the socially engaged arts and the relationships betweenfunders,producers,artistsandcommunitiesinwaysthatareessentialtothesuccessoffutureprogrammesforinEastLancashireandbeyond.

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PART1

Introductionandbackground

Timeisamajortheme.TakingitscuefromtheSlowMovement,SuperSlowWayasks how canweuse our timemore creatively; bringing art andartists to thisspacewheretimeslowsdown,tolookafreshathowpeoplelivetheirfast-pacedlivesandhowtheyrelatetotheirenvironment,theirneighbourhoodsandtoeachother.(SuperSlowWaywebsite)

TheprogrammepartnershipandtargetcommunitiesSuperSlowWayistheCreativePeopleandPlacesprogrammeforEastLancashiremadepossiblebyaninvestmentof£2millionfromArtsCouncilEngland.TheSuperSlowWaypartnershipismadeupof the Canal& River Trust,Newground, the Local Authorities of BlackburnwithDarwen, Burnley,PendleandHyndburnandArtsPartnershipPennineLancashire(APPL).The programme’s primary site has been, and will continue to be, the Leeds & Liverpool CanalcorridorbetweenBlackburnandBrierfield, and its target communitieshavebeen thepeoplewholiveandworkalongit(totalpopulationinthecatchmentarea,320,000,livingin56neighbourhoodwards). The programme has worked to develop models of participatory, collaborative or co-producedsocialartspracticethatrespondtothedifferentdemographicandculturalparticularitiesofthevarioussectorsofthispopulation.Amongitsmostimportantfeatureshasbeenthehistoryofinwardmigration,largelyasaresultofthetextileindustrywhichattractedaSouthAsianWorkforcein the 1960’s and 70’s. Two or three generations later, patterns of settlement have led to theexistencesidebysideof largelymonoculturalwhiteworkingclassandSouthAsian(predominantlyPakistaniheritage)neighbourhoods.BackgroundconditionsThelossofemploymentandamarkedslowingoftheregionaleconomyhasimpactednegativelyonprosperity, work identities and local pride. The decline of textile manufacturing and the de-industrialisation of a once vibrant area has also led to the dwindling influence and diminishingmembershipofinstitutionssuchastradeunionsthatformerlyprovidedacontextforcross-culturalencounter, solidarity and the pursuit of common interests. The safeguarding of public space andamenities,andfairdistributionofresources-albeitimperfect–remainslargelyinthehandsoftheLocalMunicipalAuthorities.However,sincethefinancialcrisisof2008theyhavesuffereddramatic

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declineinrevenueandthishasimpactedonthealreadyfragilepublicartsandlibrarysectorwhichhasseenclosuresandwithdrawaloffunding.1Although traditional vernacular cultural forms persisted, for example in brass bands and canalfestivals,priortoSuperSlowWay,smallartsorganisationsintheareasufferedfurtherdisinvestmentonthepartoftheArtsCouncil (ACE),assomeweredroppedfromtheNPOportfolio in2012. Inadifficult financial climate, the announcement of Creative People and Places funding wasunderstandablyviewedinBurnleyandBlackburn–thetwoLocalAuthoritieswithartsofficers-asanopportunity to replenish diminished resources. The small arts organisations2 also welcomed theprospect of a new funding stream and a consortium was therefore formed to develop a bid foraround£2millionpounds.AnaccountablebodycapableofholdingabudgetofthissizewasclearlyrequiredandtheCanalandRiverTrust,relativelyrecentlyformedoutofBritishWaterways,wasanatural partner. This served to re-emphasise the canal as a potential public asset alongwith thevirtueofplacingitsphysicalandculturalregenerationatthecentreoftheanyfutureprogramme.ProgrammestaffTherefollowedaconvolutedprocess,wherebythecompeting interestsofthevariousmembersofthe consortium had to be negotiated and this further complicated the process of producing acommon vision and a viable business plan. The appointment of a programme Director wassomewhat delayed. Eventually Laurie Peake agreed to return from Los Angeles, where she wasworkingat the time, to takeup thepost.Herqualifications for the job includedaverysubstantialtrackrecordinlargescaleartsprogrammes,andexperienceintheintricaciesofsociallyengagedartspractice. Of particular value was her local knowledge deriving from an up-bringing in PennineLancashire.LauriePeaketookupherpostinlate2015andinthefollowingmonthswasabletopulltogetherateamoffivewhichincludedherself,programmemanagerKatyMay,RuthShorrockwhohas a strong communitywork background, Zephi Begolo, communications officer and Laura Kellywith responsibility for finance and administration. This team delivered the first phase of theprogramme.InitssecondyearKateKershawtookoverthepostofmarketingandcommunicationsmanager,andJennyRutterwasemployedspecificallytodelivertheFabricationsprogramme.GeneralaimsThisshorthistoricalnoteexplainssomeofthestrengthsofthebidinbringingtogetheraconsortiumwithastronginterestinpromotingthedevelopmentoftheregionandalsosomeofthekeyissuesSuperSlowWayhas subsequentlyhad to face. Its responses to thesechallengeshave shaped theprogramme in 2016-17 andwill continue to inform its vision going forward as it seeks to embeditself in the area; build on its efforts to introduce new and ambitious artworks and develop newaudiences; build local arts capacity by working through participation and co-production inpartnershipwithlocalorganisations;respondtoculturaldiversityandcontributetotheregenerationofthecanalasaphysical,socialandculturalpublicspacewiththepotentialtodevelopavisitorandleisureeconomy. 1 WhilsttheaveragepercentageofadultsattendingatleastoneofeightarteventstwicewithinthelastyearinEnglandasawholeis26%,itis22%inPennineLancashireand20%intheSuperSlowWayarea.Withinthecorearea,researchhasidentifiedsixwards(population36,450)thatareparticularlylowinlevelsofengagementwiththearts,withonlya16%artsattendanceaverage.ThesewardshavepopulationsthatarepredominantlyAsianandMuslimheritage(fromPakistan,India,BangladeshandAfghanistan)..2Inourcasestudiestheseinclude,InSitubasedinNelson/Pendle,ActionFactoryinBlackburnandMidPennineArts

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Challengesfortheprogramme

• Astretchofcanalwithvariableassetsanddrawbackswhichincludesitesofpost-industrialdereliction,areasofsemi-ruralnaturalbeauty,andindustrialheritage.

• Thescarcityofpre-existingcanalusercommunities,suchasboaters,investedinthecanalasasafeandattractivepublicspace.

• Amajor partner – the Canal and River Trust – successor to BritishWaterways and yet toelaborateaculturalpolicy;thereweremixedviewsamong itsstaffonthevalueofanartsprogrammeasaregenerativestimulus.

• Lowincomeandimpoverishedcanalsidetargetwards–manyofthemdirectlysufferingtheeffectsofde-industrialisation.

• Lowlevelsofculturalattendance,andlowexpectationsofwhatitmightachieve;theSouthAsian population, have distinctive models of cultural participation, which are littleunderstoodbymostoftheartssector.

• Little experience of cultural investment, or social arts practice, and therefore littleappreciationofitspotentialbenefits.

• Fracturedintra-communityrelationsandanti-socialbehaviorinsomeareas.• A number of mono-cultural white British and South Asian heritage neighbourhoods (of

mainlyMuslim faith), with little cross-cultural contact and a recent history in the area ofinter-communitytensions.

• Different agendas ofmembers of the consortium, someofwhomwould have liked SuperSlowWaytooperateprimarilyasafundingsourcecompensatingforpreviousdisinvestmentbyLocalAuthorities (whoalsovaried in thedegree towhich theywereable tocontributefinanciallyandprofessionallytotheprogramme).

• Competing priorities between the Local Authorities, who in some cases would havewelcomedtowncentre initiatives,andtheCanalandRiverTrustwhosefocusremainedonthecanal.

• The halting and delayed start to the programme which meant that that it was underpressure to commission work very quickly once it moved into delivery phase – imposingintensepressuresonprogrammestaff.

StrategicresponsetothechallengesInwhatfollowsweattempttoshowhowSuperSlowWayhasconfrontedthesechallengesthrough

• Evolvinganincreasinglycoherentvisionthroughtheconceptandpracticeof‘slow’.• Developing a three-pronged commissioning strategy of large signature commissions that

would achieve impact of scale; residencies hosted by local community groups ororganisations;andcommunitycommissionsdeveloped through local resources,artistsandorganisations.

• Focusingonthecanalasasharedphysicalassetandpotentialconnector,andonindustrialheritage,especiallytextilemanufactureasasocio-culturalconnector.

• Usingarttodeveloprelationshipswiththecommunitieswholiveadjacenttothecanal.• Creating opportunities for cross-cultural encounter and dialogue through inter-cultural

practice.• Developinganinclusiveartspracticewithparticularlyvulnerableandmarginalisedgroups.• Workingwith local smallartsorganisationsand individualswhoareembedded in thearea

andwhosepracticehasdevelopedwithinit.

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• Raisingtheprofileoftheartsbybringinginartistsofnationalandinternationalreputationto work with local organisations and communities by responding to the cultural andeconomichistoryandassetsofpeople,builtenvironmentandlandscape.

Thirdspaceandsocialartspractice

Formeoneof thebestprojectshasbeenTheEgg, that isbecause ithadthatmixtureofaspectacle,somethingdifferent,butthisisamanlivingonthesamestreetastheresidents.Itfitsonthatspace,itisademocraticspace.Whenpeoplewenttothecommunitycentreitisachargedspace;whenpeoplewentdowntoFinsleyGate, thepowergoes,noonehasmorepower, everyone is on a neutral ground. That was very nice to see people’s own view ofthemselveshadchanged.Peoplewithverylittleconfidencerealisedwhotheyareandwhattheycando.(RuthShorrock,CommunityDeveleopmentCo-ordinator,SuperSlowWay)

Manyofthesethemeswillbethreadedthoughthecasestudiesandvignettesthatfollow.Inthemwe will illustrate the concept of ‘third space’ and its importance in characterising themodels ofpractice that have developed through the programme.We exemplify this idea through our casestudies.Inthemeantime,wedefineitasaspacethatanartwork,conceivedasasocialpractice,canopen up between communities, or between a community, its environment and an artist. Theartworkmaytakeamyriadofformsandwehavenotedexamplesinvolvingsharingfood;engagingindialogue; writing, photographing, drawing, walking or singing together; making things; minglingcultural traditions;working togetheronaproductionorevent; sharing the frissonofhumour thatpushes at the boundaries of convention and acceptability; developing quality of attention torelationshipswithoneanotherandthephysicalenvironment.Thirdspace,ascanbeseenintheseexamples, can range from actual environments to ephemeral and relational situations that arecreatedbetweenpeople.Whatisdistinctiveaboutthethirdspaceoftheartworkisthatonenteringitsambit,preconceptionsaboutotherswhoexistoutsideofthisspacearesuspendedinfavourofanabilitytoreachoutandseewherethenewencountermaylead.InthewordsofD.W.Winnicott(1971)itisthespacewherenotionsof‘me’and‘not-me’aresuspended,aspacefullofpotentialinwhichonecandiscoverforoneselfwhatistheretobefound,whetherintheshapeofotherpeople,orplaces,orthings.3Inthepleasureofdiscoveryonecanthenformrelationshipsthathaveaparticularvitality,byvirtueofthefactthatthey involveanencounterwithothernessthatalsosurprisesorchallenges.Thirdspace isthereforeanintrinsicallycreativespace.Itisbothalocusofcultureandastateofmindachievableintheeverydaylivesof individualsandcommunities.Artists-particularlythoseworkinginthepublicrealm-haveapractical roleopeningupthirdspaces,andthe functionofaprogramme likeSuperSlowWay is tohold themopen–whichsometimesmeans ‘holding theartists’as theyhold themopen. Inthiswaypeoplecanmakebestuseofthem,thuscontributingthrougharttothecreativeinvigorationofcommunitiesandtheirenvironments,civilsocietyandthepublicsphere.MethodologyAdetailedmethodology is appended to this report.Here,however,we identify the keyprinciplesthathaveinformedourwork.TheresearchandevaluationproposalfromthePsychosocialResearchUnit (PRU) at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) aimed to support the programmeobjectives of Super SlowWay and identify its distinctive contribution to the Creative People and

3 Winnicott,D.W.(1971)PlayingandReality,London:Karnac

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PlacesProgramme(CPP).CPPadvocatedactionresearchtosolverealworldproblems-howtoraisearts participation in theUK’s areas of low cultural engagement. Super SlowWay from the outsetadopted a participatory action research strategy in Pennine Lancashire. The research plan wasdesignedtoenablecollaborators(artists,audiences,stakeholders,participants)totakeanactiveroleand sustain an interest in co-producing and understanding the knowledge gained throughout theprogrammeandusingittodevelopandenhancepractice.PRU’s role has been to collaborate in the production of amethodology to study the programmethrough selected stands and project case studies, as well as taking an overview of strategicdevelopmentandcommissioning.Astheprogrammehasevolved,itsvariousfocihavebeenclarifiedandparticularlytheimportanceofdevelopinginter-culturalpracticeandrelationshipstotheuniquephysical,culturalandindustrialheritageofthearea.Awiderangeofmethodshasbeenbroughttobear, including: rapid capture and in-depth modes of interviewing with artists and audiencemembers, ethnography, observation of cultural processes and events, analysis of documentaryoutputs,visualgroupbasedmethods.Periodicreviewmeetingswithindividualstaffmembersandtheteamhaveenabledustofeedbackouremergentfindingsindialogicform.A furthermethodologicalprinciple,consistentwithouraimofunderstandingwhathappens in theart spaces generated in the programme is that in order to observe third space ‘in action’, onesometimes has to create one.We have therefore conducted two visual matrices – one with theartistsfromtheprogrammeinthecontextofareviewdayandanotherwiththegroupwhoengagedintensivelywithidlewomeninAccringtonandBlackburn.Thesehavethrownintoreliefsomeoftheaestheticandaffectivedimensionsoftheprogramme,itscanalsettinganditsimpactontheculturalimaginariesofthosegroups.Thevisualmatrixasamethodisbrieflyexplainedintheappendixanditsresultsarewovenintothediscussionthatfollows.InformantsTheresearchhasbeenundertaken in theperiod fromDecember2016toNovember2017 inwhatfollowsourinformantshavebeen

1. Key members of programme team (Director, Project Manager, Community Engagementlead)

2. SelectedArtistscommissionedtodeliverprojectswithintheprogramme3. Representativesfrompartnerorganisationsandcommunitygroupswhohaveengagedwith

theprogramme4. Participants and audience members who have attended events or taken part in

commissionedprojects

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SuperSlowWayandtheLeedsandLiverpoolCanal

TheLeedsandLiverpoolCanalassettingfortheprogrammeSuper Slow Way’s work in partnership with the Canal and River Trust has taken the Leeds andLiverpoolCanalasphysicalandtemporal inspiration,background,settingandfocusofmanyoftheprojectsithascommissioned.Wehaveseenthattheideaofthecanalasacivicandculturalspacehas gathered momentum and credibility, with a number of commissions intentionally linking upvarious locations and stretches of the canal and offering the opportunity for visitors and thecommunitieswholivealongittobegintoappreciateitasasharedlinkbetweencommunitieswhowouldotherwisefeelseparateandisolatedfromeachother,(idlewomen,HuggingtheCanal,Circleof Friends and the Burnley and Blackburn Canal Festivals, Rhapsody to the Leeds and LiverpoolCanal).AnimationofthecanalascivicandleisurespaceThe experience of the research team in the first year supports the vision the partnership hasdeveloped for the canal as ‘a string of pearls’ in which key sites or hubs of cultural interest areperceived as being connected by the waterway and canal bank. This leads to a more expansiveunderstandingofthecanalwhichgoessomewaytowardsachievingtheSuperSlowWayobjectiveofgenerating a growing interest in its future uses and in volunteering related to the protection andpromotionof thecanalasanenvironmentalasset.Thecanal-focusedprojectshave facilitated thecreation of convivial spaces where people take time to attend to their relationships with oneanother, and their communities of interest or place. Our case studies show that artists haveilluminatedthehistoricalandcontemporarymeaningofthecanaltodifferentsectorsofthepublic.Itspotentialhasbeenexploredthroughwalking,looking,smelling,studying,photographing,drawingandsingingofthecanal.Inmanyinstances,thishasbeenaconsciously‘slow’engagementwithslowart, and slow living, reflecting, perhaps, the gliding of barges along the waterway whichdifferentiatestravelonthecanal fromthefast-pacedmovementofthesurroundingurbanspaces.The canal’s human, animal and plant life have been at heart of much of the artwork in theprogramme, which has also addressed its historical, industrial and cultural significance and thecanal’songoingimportanceforthepeopleofLancashire.Thecanalasaculturalresourceandvenue:canalfestivalsIn partnershipwithMid-Pennine Arts, Super SlowWay transformed the traditional Burnley canalfestival in2016and2017,giving itacontemporaryaesthetic.Thelargecrowdsattractedofferedawindow on how the canal could become a leisure destination. The festival made use of threedistinctive sites, andawalkbetween them.SandygateSquareprovideda space for contemporarymusic,danceandparticipatoryactivities.Itincluded,forexample,FolkDanceRemixed,acollageofceilidh, clogging, street, hip hop, house dance and music; and essence of African Dance andBollywoodinperformance.InthesecondyearofthefestivalthemaineventwasUrbanPlaygroundperforming Steam, with a mixture of synchronised gymnastic, dance and Parkour that involveddaringmanoeuvresthatcapturedtheaudience’simaginationandbreath.Therewasthesolcinemawherechildrenwereusheredintoasolarpoweredcinematicexperience;inragtagartstheycould

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try out juggling, hoola hoop and unicycling; also a sing along storewhere peoplewere invited tochoosetheirfavouritesongandjoininsingingit.OnthecanalitselfpeoplecouldjumpaboardtheLifeboatandenjoy‘theslowestrideonearth’.ForthosewhowantedanexperienceofSouthAsianarttherewashennahandpainting.Inthe2016Festivalherewasalsoanopportunitytotakearideon the freewaterbuswithacanalcruise to theExburyEggatFinsleyGateWharf.TheEggartist,Stephen Turner was on hand with local volunteers to host visits and explain and promote theprogramme.In2017theEggwasreplacedbycraftstallsandthewharfbecameadeparturepointforbasic canoe lessons. At the Inn on the Wharf, Burnley Alliance Silver band played a mix ofcontemporary and traditionalmusic. The pub yard providedwith stalls and activities for children,includingaPunchandJudy,mini-fairground,circusskillsandinsectcircus.The two-day events in Burnley contrasted with the Blackburn canal festival that by and largeretainedatraditionalformatwithadisplayofmooredcanalboats,traditionalfoodanddrink,folk,rockand reggaemusic.Weconducteda largenumberof impromptu ‘rapid capture’ interviewsattheseevents,notonlytoevaluateexperienceoftheeventitself,buttotryandgaugethenatureofpublicengagementwiththecanalandtheextenttowhichculturalactivitieswouldbewelcomedinthe future. Although public attendance and feedbackwas very positive for both festivals, peopleparticularlyenjoyedtheelementofnovelty inBurnley,themixofthemodernandtraditional,andtherevitalisationofthefestivalthroughart.Botheventsdemonstratedthatlocalpeopleandvisitorsare anything but indifferent to the fate of the canal. They welcome its environmental andcommercial regeneration.However, theSuperSlowWayprogrammealsoshows that it is throughculturalre-animation–seebelow-thatasenseofownership,curiosityandpossibilitycantakerootandgrow.Re-imaginingtheCanalThereisalsoaveryrealsensethatdespitethepotential,thereisstillawaytotravel.Itisclearfromthe interviews and in particular from the visual matrices4 that we conducted that the canal stillarousesambivalentandsometimesconflictingimagesandideas.Itisexperiencedbothasaplaceofbeauty,interest,leisureandlocalprideandofdangeranddecay.Theswan–emblemoftheCanalandRiverTrust– isalsoemblematicof thesemixed feelings. It recurs inour interviewsandvisualmatricesasacreatureofgraceanddignity,atoneandthesametimeanaggressorandavictimoftoxic waters, vulnerable to destructive people and marauding dogs. The swan thus symbolisesconflictingperceptionsofthecanalanditsimmediateenvironmentthatreflectthereality,formanylocal people, of life in its vicinity. The first year of Super Slow Way’s programme has begun toencouragepeopleonceagaintoseethecanalinitspositiveandproblematicaspectsastheirs,andtore-imagineitsfutureplaceintheirlivesandcommunities.SuperSlowWayandtheFutureoftheCanalThearrivalofSuperSlowWayandtheinjectionofinvestmentandenergyithasbroughttoanimatethecanalasaculturalspaceandphysicalasset israising itsprofileandstimulating localpeopletothinkofwhattheymightwantittobeinthefuture.Thecanalisnolongertakenforgranted,butforpeoplewhohaveparticipatedinSuperSlowWay’sprojects,orattendedeventsitcanbelookedatwithfresheyesthroughart.StephenHighamwhoisresponsibleforenterpriseandregenerationforthe Canal and River Trust in the region makes it clear that a primary value to the Trust of the

4 Thevisualmatrixisagroupbasedmethod,ledbyimageryandaffectthatisparticularlyusefulforunderstandingsharedimaginativeresponsestoanobject,eventorprocess(Seemethodology,appendixandalsoPart3.forwriteupofartists’visualmatrixandcasestudyofidlewomen)

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partnershipwithSuperSlowWay,isinbrandrecognition.SuperSlowWay’sactivitieshavecreatedanexcellentplatformtoenhancebrandrecognitionbyenablingdiversepublicstoengagewiththecanalinnewways.Withthecanalplannedtobeevermorecentraltotheprofileoftheprogrammeinthesecondyear,thereisanexcellentopportunitytofurtherconsolidatethepartnership.Theplans for thesecondphaseof theprogrammewillalsodependonon-goingpartnershipswiththefiveLocalAuthorities.SuperSlowWayhasdevelopeda‘stringofpearls’visionofthecanalasalinearparkwhichwilllinkupkeysitesofspecialinterestanddevelopthecanalasacommercialandleasureresourceandpublicspace.With thesupportofPLACELancashire (theconsortiumofLocalAuthorityChiefExecutives)a feasibility study is tobecommissionedearly in2018.Envisaged is amajorprogrammeofphysicalandculturalregenerationaplace-makinginitiativewhichwillenbractinfrastructure,architecturalheritage,commercialopportunities.andgreenspace.SuperSlowWay’svisionintoputartsandcultureatitscoreAudienceengagementanddevelopmentCulturalconsumerismorartisticandsocialmission?SuperSlowWay(SSW)hasbeencommittedtoprogrammingthatreachesthediversecommunitiesof East Lancashire and increases opportunities for attendance and participation in the arts. Someprojects have offered opportunities for co-production. However, as already pointed out, theprogrammehashadtofacespecificchallengesinaudienceengagementanddevelopment.The resourcesof the fiveLocalAuthoritieswhoarepartners in theprogramme,havedwindledasausterity has hit budgets for cultural and civic activities. Many of the target wards for theprogramme,distributedalongthecanal,arelowincome,mono-culturalcommunitieslivingincloselyknitethnicallydefinedgroups.Racerelationsintheareahaveoftenbeencharacterisedbymistrustoroverthostility.This complicated the task of cultural programming, if it is not unwittingly to reinforce existingdivisionsamong localpeople,anddisinterestor rejectionofanythingthatmightbe interpretedas‘alien’.Notonlyisthetaskthereforetoincreasethereachoftheartsandbuildaudiences,itisalsoto re-animate and re-configure a public realm, once shared in the domain of work, amongpopulationswhereculturalandsocialcapitalareoftenlow.Inotherwords,themissionoftheSSWisnecessarilycivic,asmuchasitisartistic.Specificchallengestoaudiencedevelopmentare:

• There is an absence of a ‘booking and ticketing culture’; as one respondent at the KinaraFestivalputit“peoplesimplyhavenotdeveloped‘thegoingoutforculturestuff’”.

• SomecommunitiessuchasSouthAsiansintheareahavebeenallbutinvisibletofundersofpublicart,includingtheArtsCouncil,andhavelowexpectationsofwhattheymightprovide.

• There aremany ‘hard-to-reach’ groups in the area such as refugees, substancemisusers,womenwhohavesufferedviolenceandabuse,forwhomartandculturehastobeofferedincarefullycalibrated,containingsettings.

• Divergence incultural tastes,customsand languageshasdeterredattempts toprovide forcross-culturalaudiences.

• Somecommunitieshavetheirownvernacularculturaltraditionswhicharelittleunderstoodorappreciatedbyartsproviders.

• Relative poverty and the sense of cultural exclusion produced by de-industrialisation hasdonelittletoencourageculturalengagement

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Hereisarangeofexamplestoindicatethediversityofstrategiesofengagement.StrategiesforreachingnewaudiencesSSWhastakenonthechallengeofprogrammingforthespecificneedsandinterestsofaudiences.Ithas

• addressedthedecayingphysicalandbuiltenvironmentandcelebratedthecanalasregionalheritagewithcivicpotential (TheEgg, idlewomen,ARhapsody to theLeedsandLiverpoolCanal,BurnleyCanalFestival,Harkat,HuggingtheCanalandTheIslandofMillHill,CircleofFriends)

• focussedonindustrialheritageandtextilemanufacturingwhicharecentraltothepeople’sunderstanding of place, history, identity and awareness of current and future prospects(Fabrications, Festival ofMaking,Home,Metis-World Factory Shapes ofWater Sounds ofHope)

• commemorated events of historical importance to identities and histories of migration(Home)

• countered through art and inter-cultural practice the divisive racialisation of difference(Kinara,ShapesofWaterSoundsofHope,idlewomen,CircleofFriends,Home,VerddeGris)

• included marginalised, vulnerable and under-resourced groups (idle women, Circle ofFriends, Verd de Gris, Men Who Care, Nightsafe, Beyond Labels, Shared Threads at theMechanics)

• supportedandexploredthreatenedidentitiesofsettledandmigrantcommunities(TheEgg,TheIslandofMillHill,Harkat,ShapesofWate,SoundsofHope,Kinara,Home)

• begun thework of regenerating locality through place-making and heritage (The Egg, thePavilionCommunityCaféinNelson,Fabrications)

• recognised and developed through contemporary art, existing traditions and vernacularcultural forms (Hugging the Canal, Burnley Canal Festival, Blackburn Canal Festival, thePavilionCommunityCafé,ShapesofWaterSoundsofHope,Metis-WorldFactory)

• brought artists of international repute and ambition to East Lancashire (Kinara, Shapes ofWaterSoundsofHope,Harkat,ARhapsodytotheLeedsandLiverpoolCanal, the IslandofMillHill,Metis–WorldFactory)

The following consists of a number of sections describing amulti-pronged approach to audienceengagementanddevelopment.SmallartsorganisationsandcommunityengagementthroughembeddedpracticeThesmallartsorganisationsinthearea5havebeendeliveringsmallscaleparticipatoryprojectsovermanyyearsbyembeddingthemselvesintheircommunities.However,theircapacityandreachhasbeenlimitedbyanevermorerestrictivefundingenvironment,whilethechallengeofworkinginanarea of minimal cultural infra-structure is considerable. This can foster a mind-set of defensivesurvivalism accompanied by a reluctance to bring in fresh artists from outside the area. In somecases,suchas InSitu,theyhavebeendedicatedtoa ‘smallandlocal isbeautiful’philosophy.SSW

5 TheexistingsmallartsorganisationsformpartoftheAPPLconsortiumandSuperSlowWayhasworkedwithanumberoftheminthecourseoftheproject.Inthisstudywehavesofarencountered workbyInSitu,ActionFactory,MidPennineArtsandBurnleyYouthTheatre.PartnershipswithAPPLorganisationswillbeafocusofstudythesecondphaseoftheprogramme,inwhichwewillassesshowfarSuperSlowWayhashelpedbuildcapacityanditsinfrastructure

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has attempted to work in partnership with the small arts organisations on projects they wishedundertake,buildingon their local knowledge,presence,networks and reputation in thearea, andrecognising thisasavital resource;ShapesofWaterSoundsofHopewasbuiltonyearsofpatientrelationalworkbyInSituandcouldnothavebeendeliveredwithoutit.TheBurnleyCanalFestivalshave depended on Mid-Pennine Arts’ understanding of how to put a new artistic spin on oldtraditionsinawaywhichpeoplewouldstillrecogniseandenjoy.BurnleyYouthTheatredrewonanexisting base of support and interest among young people and other young artists to performtheatre,poetry,parkourandartworkonthebanksofthecanalonSandygateSquaretotellthestoryofhowthecanalhasconnectedEastLancashiretotheworldforthepasttwocenturies.SocialneedandsociallyengagedpracticeIftheprogrammevisionistobegroundedintherealityofpeople’slives,italsoneedstotakeheedofandrespondtothesocialissuesthatshapethewaytheyliveandinteractwithoneanotherandthewiderworld. Artistsworking in the programme have encountered poverty, racism, substancemisuse,homelessness,defactosegregationofcommunities,mental illness,domesticviolence,andabuse,declineofcommunitysolidarities,sexistandhomophobicviolenceandabuse,theproblemsofmigrants and refugees and the specific vulnerabilities of peoplewith disabilities or age-relatedfrailty. It cannot be the task of an arts programme to turn artists into social or health workers.However,SSWhasrecognisedthatinanareawiththemultipledisadvantagesofEastLancashire,itmustworkincollaborationwithotheragencies;supportartiststobuildrelationships;andworkwithcommunities to produce locally relevant and (inter)nationally significant art. The programmehas,therefore,producednumerousprojects–somesmallandintimate,otherslargescale,thatinsomemeasure address local needs through art. They introduce people to the possibilities of art andculture and they have the potential to intertwine with other social processes to positive effect.Selectedexamplesaredocumentedinthecasestudies(idlewomen,CircleofFriends,VerddeGris,MenWhoCare,andonamuchbroadercanvasShapesofWater,SoundsofHope)Someoftheresidenciescommissionedbytheprogrammeprovedverychallenging,especiallywherethey reliedoncommunities tohostand thosecommunitieshad littleconceptionofwhatanartistmight be able tooffer. They alsodemandedof artists a particularmodel of practice inwhich thecommunity and place were the primary resources andmaterial for the artwork, and any objectsproducedwereameanstoanimatesocialrelationstootherpeopleortheenvironment,ratherthanends in themselves.Thiscouldcreate tensionsbetweenthedesire forastrongaestheticoutcomeand amode of practice in which the primary outcomewas a social process. The case studies ofHarkat,TheIslandofMillHillandTheEggshouldbereadwiththesedilemmasinmind.Oneofthekeylearningpointsofyearonewasjusthowchallengingthiskindofartspracticecanbe.It became clear that artists working in communities where there has been no tradition of eitherculturalattendanceorembeddedartspracticearevulnerableinmanywaysthathaveyettobefullyunderstoodordocumented.Theycanfeelde-skilledinthefaceoftheseverityofsocialneed,caughtbetweencommunityrivalriesandaresometimesrecipientsofhostility,whichappearstobedirectedattheirpersonandnotonlytheirwork.Thiskindofartspracticeisatthefrontierofanewfieldofpossibilitiesandunchartedwaters.Thetollbothontheartist ‘front-line’andsupportingpersonnelcanbeheavy.ThedifferentmodelsformanagingthisintheprogrammearedescribedinPart4.Asaresult of her experience in year 2. Jenny Rutter who produced the Fabrications programme nowsupports the idea of a ‘ladder’ where the first rung is sensitive projects involving hard-to-reachgroups in carefully curated relational settings are allowed to groworganically. Subsequent ‘rungs’wouldincreaseinambition,perhapsinvolvingaprovocationoraninterventiondesignedtoshifttheway people think about things. An effectivemodel of support for participants and hence also for

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artists is to partnerwith a community organisation, such as Community Solutions,who can bothrecruit for thegroupandaddress supportneedsas theyarise.Theexperienceof idlewomenwasthat external practice supervision was invaluable to the project producers themselves when theworkwastakingasevereemotionaltoll.AnimationoflocalsettingsInbuildingaudiences,SSWcommissionedarangeofprojectswhichillustratethevalueofsmall-scaleandintimateinterventionsintocommunitysettings,Theyhaveincludedlocallymeaningfulactivitiesdelivered ineverydaycontextssuchasHuggingtheCanal (seecasestudy)whereartistandsingerJenReid,accompaniedbyvisualartist SimonWoolham, tookher singingdirectly into thepubsby‘singingforhersupper’,assheandWoolhamwalkedalongthe127milesoftheLeedsandLiverpoolCanal.The impactofaproject likethis isnotnecessarily tobeconfinedtothenumbersofpeoplereached inanyonemoment, rather itsvalue resides ina localisedanimationofpublic space that,combined with other similar contributions, could incrementally accumulate. By taking art intoquotidian settings that people are familiar with, the ‘cultural ice’ is potentially broken throughsimpleandpleasurable,yetoftenunusualorout-of-theboxactivities,openingpeopleuptoamoreambitiousoffer.A further example was the Pavilion Café whereMarkMellville, Louie Ingram and LeeMattinsoninvitedthelocalresidentswhofrequentVictoriaParkinNelsontoexploreadifferentunderstandingof nature, biography, music and art through installing audio recordings in the park café with sixbroad headings, theywere Food and Friendship, Industry and Integrity, This Park and theWorld,Nature and animals and Health and Wellbeing. The Pavillion café was a social enterprise thatsupportedvolunteerswhoworkedthereandlocalpeoplewhofrequentedthecafétodevelopaudioart,musicandbiographicalrecordingsandsubsequentlyenjoythemalongwithcasualvisitors.Theidea was to inspire those who listened to the recordings to walk around the park again andexperienceitthroughadifferentprism.InBlackburn,SSWcollaboratedinthere-openingoftheemblematicCottonExchangebuildinginthecentreof the town,withanexhibition thatwaspartof theFabricationsproject. Thisold, reveredbuilding, that last opened its doors as a cinema in the 1980s, became alive again through theexhibitionandwasabletobringthepastintocommunionwiththepresentinmuchthesamewayastheopeningofthemillinBrierfield,NelsonforShapesofWaterSoundsofHope.RaisingtheprofileoftheartsthroughlargescaleeventsAt the other end of the scale, in October 2016 A Rhapsody to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal,composed by Ian Stephens,with poems by IanMcMillan,was commissioned to celebrate the bi-centenary of the canal. It involved five local primary schools, the Blackburn People’s Choir, theBrighouseandRastrickBrassBand,aswellasacclaimedsopranoAmandaRoocroft,cellistJohnathanAsgaard and tabla player Kuljit Bhamra. The choir and band, and the choir of school childrenattractedfamilies,friends,relationsandpublicenoughtofillthevastKingGeorge’sHallinBlackburnwith an ethnicallymixed audience. Despite the evident quality and popularity of this celebratoryevent,whichwaswellmarketedand initiallyticketed, itbecamecleartoSSW,astheytriedtoselltickets in the runup to theevent, thatmany localpeopledidnotexpect topay forculture in theform of live performance. Eventually tickets had to be given away. Commercially, therefore, theevent was not a success. However, this did notmean an absence of audience engagement. Lessspectacular than the impactof the finalevent,butpossiblyof longerduration,willhavebeen the

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effect on the children of five local primary schools (and their families), who rehearsed over thepreceding months and found themselves on a huge stage with professional and amateur adultmusicians, singing of the canal, its history andmeaning, through a highly original and dedicatedchoralcomposition.Metis, a performing arts company, performed the World Factory in Brierfield Mill where theaudiencewerecastinthe‘capitalist’roleoffactoryownersincommunistChina.Theaudiencewerefurnished with information through choices provided on cards, for instance, to pay the workersmore,orinvestinmorestock.Theperformanceencouragedtheaudiencetothinkaboutthetextileindustry,theconnectionwiththeWestandinparticularwithEastLancashireandManchesterandtheexploitativenatureofcapitalism.Itcontrastedtheglitzypresentationandmarketingofclothingin the West with the reality of sweatshops in China and South Asia. Through performing it inBrierfield Mill, Metis skilfully made the connection between mill workers of the past in EastLancashire and factory workers in China and crucially, capital, (re)production, and exploitativeworkingconditions.Itdemonstratedthattheclothingindustryalwaysfollowsthecheapestmodeofproduction.Diversity,durationalprojectsandlongtermengagementProjectsthattakeplaceovermanymonthsareespeciallyvaluablefromtheperspectiveofengagingandbuilding audiences aswell as reaching largenumbers. Themost ambitiousmassparticipationprojectofall,SuzanneLacy’sShapesofWaterSoundsofHope(seecasestudy)lastedoveraperiodofninemonthsandincludedgroupsofSufichanters(Dhikr),ShapeNotesingingandmillsongs,inaprocess that included a series of mass public events with the participation of multiple localorganisations,networksandconversations.TheseoccurredasSouthAsianheritageandwhiteBritishcommunities encountered one another in a series ofmass ‘Community Conversations’ that wentstraight to theheart of themostpressingdistinctions anddivisions affecting their social relationsand daily lives. The prolonged interaction through the enactment of two cultural traditionsculminated in parallel and fusion performances of Shape Note and Dhikr at a day of filming inBrierfieldMill,whichconcludedinabanquetfor500localpeople.SSWestimatethatinthecourseof the final 3 days between 750 and 1000 people attended.Manymore were involved over thecourseoftheentireproject-effectivelyacommunitydevelopmentprojectaswellasanartproject.Itisverydifficulttoestimatenumbersofpeoplewhoengagedorcametoknowaboutit.Thewholepoint of the process was its cumulative diffusion into the community through friends, families,networks and organisations, and therefore both first and second hand knowledge. The film, TheCircleandtheSquare,was launchedinBrierfieldMill inSeptember2017. Itremainsasarecordoftheprojectaswellasahistoricalandartistic recordofanevent. Itwillnowhavean internationalshowing.Encounteringthearts‘slowly’andinsmallthingsWhile large scale signature commissions such as Shapes of Water, Sounds of Hope create largeaudiences,intensifyimpactandestablishthepresenceoftheprogrammeinthearea,theydotouchallareasof culturalexperience.There isavery importantplace for small scaleartsexperiences inprojects thatundertakethepainstakingworkofbuildingaudiences inwayswhichachievea lowerprofile but where in-depth, fine-grained, attentive work takes place that seeks to embed art ineverydaylivesandpractices.SSW’sportfoliohasrangedoverawidevarietyofactivitiesintermsofscale, modes of engagement and participation, talent, art-form and target audience. Some wellreceivedprojectshavebeenthosethathaveconcentratedonthesmall, intimateexperiencesthatdevelopcuriosity,theabilitytosee,andthequalityofattentiontosocialrelationshipsaswellasthe

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naturalandbuiltenvironment.SharonMarsdenofVerddeGris(seecasestudy)encouragedmainlySouthAsianwomen to talk, dance, sing, drawandwrite poetry as they explored their feelings ofbeingcarersforlovedoneswithdementiaandtheiridentityasMuslimwomen.WithinFabricationsthatfocussedontextileheritageinthesecondyearoftheprogramme,LisaRyanworkedwithlocalcommunitygroupsinBurnleysomeofwhomhadstruggledwithsubstancemisuseormentalhealthdifficulties.RyanandcommunityartsgroupGroundUpworkedwithlocalpeopletomake art for the display in Burnley Mechanics, a theatre and former mechanics institute withexhibitionspace.Theyusedrecycledmaterials,cotton,wool,straws,andplastictodesigntwoandthree-dimensionalartworks fordisplayon thewall. Localpeoplewhoweresociallyexcludedwereencouraged to discuss issues that were relevant to their lives, including race and communityrelations,mental health, and substancemisuse. The art was their own, whichwas subsequently,producedandsoldandthemoneyraisedre-investedforthegroup’sbenefit.The Egg by Stephen Turner (see case study) epitomised the philosophy of ‘slow’ enabling localpeopletoengageattheirownpacere-claimingaderelictsitebesidethecanal.Manyoftheactivitiesinvolved minute attention, for example, to moths, bugs and plant life. The Egg developed anenthusiastic local followingthatwasabletodiscoverwhatwasalreadythere intheirsurroundingsthat hitherto they had never found. This was a classic creation and use of third space in whichrelationshipschangedthroughslowengagementintheprojectandanewsenseofculturalagencybegantodevelop.TheEgg’ssuccessinoverwhelminglywhiteworkingclassandsociallyconservativeBurnleyWood,wasachievedthroughthegranular‘infiltration’ofawayofseeingandrelating.Thisgraduallyinstilledinthecommunitytheideaofowningandcaringforapublicspaceasacommunalresource.Manyof the relationships formed in theprocesshavebeenquietly transformativeatanindividualandcommunitylevel.AsimilarprocesstookplaceinTheCircleofFriends,exceptthatthistimethefocuswasonthegroupitself,asopposedtopublic space.Thiswasanother ‘slowart’project, formedoutofagroupwhohadnotbeenusedtogettingoutandaboutpriortotheircanalwalkswithartist,JeanMcEwan.Theygrewinenjoymentandconfidencebydevelopingasensuousandaestheticrelationshiptothecanal.Through sharing it as a third space they arrived atmore animated and appreciative relationshipswithoneanother.idle women (see case study) brought together women from different neighbourhoods,organisations, ethnicities and walks of life who within the contained space ‘curated’ by RachelAnderson and Cis O’Brian (the creative producers of the project) interwove their life experienceswiththeindustrialhistoryofLancashire’smillworkersandcanaldwellers.Manyofthewomenwhobecamepartof theprojecthadtheirownhistoriesof traumaand lossandyetwereabletoreachacross their differences to one another to breathe new life into an old idea of cross-culturalsisterhood.FromlocaletocommunityofplaceAnumberofartists(forexampleStephenTurner,TheEgg;AlwinReamillo,Harkat,AnthonySchrag,TheIslandofMillHill)havefocussedonverydefinedlocalareas–afewadjacentstreetsinaward,orasmallstretchofthecanalbank. Invariablythesehavebeenareaswithsettledpopulationsbutdecliningresources,sufferingfromcollapseofcivicinstitutionsandneglectofpublicspaceasLocalAuthorities havewithdrawnunder financial pressure from the support of community centres andotherlocalassets.Withthishascomearetreatfromtheirroleinsustaininglocaldemocracyandthepublicsphere.

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Inthefaceofthis,volunteershaveinsomeplaceseffectivelytakenovertherunningofcommunityassets with good intentions, poor resources, and often little experience. Under these conditionsthere is a danger that the third space that sustains a civic culture implodes. Far from being aliberation,theretreatofthelocalstatehasonlytoooftenleftcommunityinstitutionsvulnerabletodominantpersonalities,meagrefundingandquarrelsbetweenneighbours.Although theymay not have conceived it in these terms, the role of the SSW projects that havefocussedonlocalitieshasbeentobegintheworkofreanimatingtheideaof‘public’throughchangesintheusesofspace inthenaturalandbuiltenvironment.Theyhaveworkedtocreatenewpublicspacesthroughartforrevitalisedcommunityrelationships.HarkatandTheEgg,forexampleshowedhow a place based project could help local people take pleasure in and from a new sense ofcommunity investment in their locality.Themostsuccessfulof theseprojectswasTheEgg for thegoodreasonthatthiswasasixmonthresidencythatoccupiedadisusedcanalbanksiteatFinsleyGate Wharf and allowed time for a new community relationship with place to form organicallythroughcareof the siteandappreciationof thenature thathadovertaken it in itsmanyyearsofclosure.Members of the communitywho had been involved in the programmebecame active indevelopingideasforthefutureofthesitethroughaHeritageLotterybid,tocontinueactivitiesinthespirit ofThe Egg. Peoplewho engaged in the project formed groups based on common interestssuchasphotographyandwriting,developingskillsthatwererootedinthelocalitybutthatexpandedtheirhorizonsbeyondit.Sometimesthemerefactofanartprojecthasprovidedasenseof ‘uplift’andpride inplaceforamarginalisedgroup.Forexample,LeeAffenencouragedlocalyoungpeopletomakemusicinsidealocalcommunity/youthcentreinCloughestateinBurnley.AffendidthisbyworkingwithsixyoungpeopleoveraperiodofafewweeksinOctober2016usingmusicalinstrumentsandmixingthiswithelectronicmusic.Thispredominantlywhiteworkingclassestate-basedcommunityhasbeenisolatedandalienatedwithvery little investmentof culturalandphysical resource.However,bypreparingforaperformanceevent,theyoungpeoplewereabletodevelopnewskillsandfeelasenseofpridein themselves and their local community/youth centre. Likewise, in Beyond Labels in Accrington,young men used poetry, music and film to explore issues of identity, culture and ethnicity andexpressed their feelings, thoughts and hopes. This group includedwhite, SouthAsian andAfricanCaribbeanyoungmenandproducedafilm,aswellaspoetryandmusic,toarticulatewhatitisliketobeInyoungMen’sshoes.Inre-constitutingpublicspacethroughanartproject,peopleareencouragedtoextendtheirsightsbeyondthe local.Harkat, through itscross-culturalcelebrationof the ideaofhomeandmigrationresonated with the experience of local people despite its ‘exotic’ strangeness. It symbolised andenactedaspectsofhumannecessity,commonalityandgenerositywithwhichdifferentgroupscouldidentify.ThelocalFilipinopopulationsuddenlybecamevisible.Harkatalsobecame,albeitfleetingly,atreasuredfocalpointforarefugeegroupwhobyvirtueofcircumstancearegeo-culturallyadrift.Inthisexample,ReamilloasFilipinoartistandassomeonewhoisworkingfarawayfromhomeandhisoutsideofhisownculturewasable to connectwith the local Filipinopopulationand the refugeegroupingsinthelocalareawitheaseandthusprovideanewlensforthelocalindigenouspopulationwhowere otherwise ensconced in a differentmindset andmode of perception. The gathering ofFilipinosintheCommunityCentreandthecreationofthefloatingshrinewiththespecialhelpfromrefugeesbroughtnewpossibilitiesintothelocalcommunityimaginary.Bytheirverynaturetheselocally-basedprojectsthathavebeenaboutthere-ignitionofanideaofpublicspaceandsociallifeasabasisfortheextensionofculturalandgeographicalhorizons.

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ArtandcareSSWhascommissionedprojectsaimedatprofessionalandinformalcaresituations(MenWhoCare,VerddeGris,Nightsafe)aswellasotherswherecare-whetherofpeopleortheenvironment-wasadefining ethos (idlewomen, The Egg, Circle of Friends). In a regionwith somuchdeprivation anddisadvantage,itshouldcomeasnosurprisethatartistschoosetoworkwithspecificneedsandwithpopulationswhowouldotherwisehavenoaccesstothearts.Theassociationbetweenartandcareisnotsimplythatartcompensatesforshortcomingsinthecaresystem(itdoesn’t,andshouldn’t);orthatitprovidessomethingthat‘livensup’care-butthatthroughgeneratingaparticular‘aesthetic’qualityof attention,people canuse it toenableboth carers and cared for to ‘feel alive’, and thiscouldberegardedasintrinsictogoodcare.ThecarersinMenWhoCarerepeatedlystressedthe‘interest’thattheartshadignitedinwhattheydo, that somehow lifted them out of the incessant demands placed upon them in their role ascarers.Forthemalecarers,artwasbothintrinsicallycreativeandpotentiallyusefulasaconnectionorbridgebetweenthemandthelocalcommunity.VerddeGrisprovidedtheopportunityformainlySouthAsiancarerstoexpressthroughartandcreativitytheirfeelingsabouteachotherandhopesforlife.CircleofFriendsisanotherexampleofartinfusingcareofoneanotherwithvitalitysothatagroupofpeoplewhomightbeclassedas‘vulnerable’byvirtueoftheirdisabilitiesgrewincuriosity,confidenceandself-awareness.Youngpeople inNightsafewereabletoexploretheirrelationshipswitheachotherandidentitywithNajiaBagithroughmusicandperformance.Thistookplaceoveranumber ofmonths, beginning in 2015 - where the young people used their daily experiences toexpresshowtheyfeltabouteachotherandtheirlivesthroughKaraokeandinterviewedeachother.Theywalkedtogether,wrotemusic,recordedsoundscapesandtookphotographs.idlewomenwascentrallyconcernedwithcreatingaprotectedartspace forwomenand it isclearfromthevisualmatrixweconductedthatitdevelopedagroupcultureofmutualcareacrossculturaldifference and across age groups and occupations. Within this environment women in veryprecariouscircumstanceswereable tosafely join thegroupandtakepart in itscreativeactivities.The creativity nourished their quality of attention to one another, but also overflowed theboundariesofthegroupandcreatedanappreciationofcareinandofnatureandforthehistoryandindustriallegacyoftheregion.InterculturalcommissioningandpracticeByensuringthatthedemographicprofileofEastLancashireinformsitscommissioningstrategy,SSWhas moved well beyond the ‘diversity’ agenda (still dominantly concerned with diverse artistrepresentation and mixed audiences), to explore what inter-cultural provision and practice candeliverintermsofcommunityrelationsandhighqualityart.Onceagainthenatureofprojectshasvaried from locality based (The Café); to creating a temporary ‘hybrid’ community (Harkat); to amonth longfestival (Kinara)andanextensive,durationalprojectof internationalambition(ShapesofWaterSoundsofHope). Inaddition,manyofthecommunitycommissionswithadefinedtargetpopulationhaveactivelyworkedwiththeculturaldiversityof itsparticipants–(examplesareVerdde Gris with older people, and Circle of Friends in which participants had learning or physicaldisabilities).Itwouldhavebeenpossible,andperhapslessrisky,forSSWtohavefulfilleditsobligationtoensurethat different communities were provided for within the programme by ethnically targetedcommissions which would have left existing cultural differences, distinctions and preferencesuntouched.Theprogrammehasnot takenthissaferoute.Theclosestexampleof targeting in thisway was The Kinara Festival (see case study) directed by Rizwan Iqbal from Love and Etiquettewhere a large proportion of the scheduled events were South Asian in inspiration, or of specificinterest toMuslim audiences. The festival did indeed achieve a majority attendance from South

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Asian/Muslimcommunities,butmuchofitsofferwascontemporaryandcross-culturalincharacter,includingsomeofitsmusicandpoetryanditspoliticallyprovocativecomedyanddrama.ThefestivalwasrewardedwithasubstantialwhiteBritishaudiencewhichbuiltupoverthecourseofthemonthandwherepeoplecamefromsurroundingtownsandcitiestoenjoyrenownedinternationalartistsandhighqualityevents.Suzanne Lacy’s Shapes ofWater, Sounds of Hope is the subject of an extended case study but issummarised here. The project, which unfolded over many months, depended for its social andaesthetic outcomes on the juxtaposition between two culturally specific forms of chant: Dhikr, aformofSufimeditationandspiritualexpression,andShapeNoteamusicalnotationwhichgaverisetoavocaltraditionwithdistantoriginsinLancashire.Bothchantformsthereforeindifferentwayshadroots in the livedspiritualpracticesorhistoricvocal traditionsof theregion.The interculturalcontribution of Shapes ofWater Sounds of Hope developed out of both the aesthetic encounterbetween these two forms, and conversations between South Asian heritage and white Britishcommunities over the courseof themonths that ledup to the finale in BrierfieldMill inOctober2016. Theprojectdidnot glossover the sensitivitiesof social relationsbetween communitiesbutenabledanencounterinwhichbothdistinctivenessandmistrust,andcommonalityandacceptancewerearticulatedaroundadevelopingartisticvision.A measure of the difficulty and courage needed to undertake a project of this scale, with thepotential to make a lasting impact on inter-community perceptions and relations was also thedegreeofambivalenceandcontroversyitarousedatthetime,mainlyamongartsprofessionals,witharguments that ranged over the resources required, the degree and nature of participation, therelevanceofShapeNoteinmodernEastLancashire,theimportofanAmericanartist(SuzanneLacy)and music Director (Ron Pen), the male domination of the Sufi chanting, whether the initialprojectednumberswererealistic,andtheaspirationoftheartistforastrongaestheticoutcomeaswellasacommunitydevelopmentlegacy.Asfarasthepublicswereconcerneditdoesappearthatthere was some equivocation over the suitability of Shape Note, however we have recorded nocriticismofthewidergoalsoftheproject.BothSouthAsianheritageandwhiteBritishcommunities,whowere involvedwere overwhelminglymoved, grateful and enthused by themeeting betweenculturesithadengendered.

Conclusions

DiversityofprovisionSSW delivered an ambitious and varied programme with a strong focus on socially engagedcommunitybasedparticipatoryprojects,alongside festivalsand largersignaturecommissions.Thismixturehas laid thebasis foradevelopingartsecologywithprojectsvarying fromsmall, intimateandneighbourhoodbased,todurational,festival,spectacleandeventsofregionalandinternationalsignificance. It enabled a diversity ofmodes on engagement, allowing for everything from simple‘taster’ activities,wheremembers of the public could try things out (Festival ofMaking), reclaimdisused sites (The Egg), engage in large scale productions (Rhapsody for the Leeds and LiverpoolCanal); form supportive and transformative relationships (Circle of Friends); create a temporarycommunity (idlewomen); recover industrialheritage (Fabrications);workwith internationalartists

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(Shapes of Water Sounds of Hope); enjoy local festivals (Burnley and Blackburn Canal Festivals);discovertheartofSouthAsianandotherminoritycommunities(TheKinarafestival);commemoratesignificantevents(Home1947);andcreateacontextforcare(VerddeGris).DiversityofparticipantsandtargetaudiencesTheprogrammehassuccessfullycreatednewartspaces,eventsandprocessesforawiderangeofindividuals and the diverse communities of Pennine Lancashire including some of its morevulnerableresidents.Ithasnotshiedawayfromthedifficultissuesofinter-communitycommunityrelationsinapost-industrialareasareaofhighmigrationanddiminishedresources.Inparticular,ithas worked to create, through art, conversational opportunities and sites of encounter whereracializeddifferencesestrangecommunitiesfromoneanother.Ithasdonethisbycommissioningarangeofsmallprojectsthathavesuccessfullyattractedethnicallymixedparticipantgroups(Verddegris, Circle of Friends). The Kinara Festival produced by Love and Etiquette presented very highquality classical and contemporary art,music and performance of Islamic, South Asian and otherinternational inspiration, to audiences thatweremixedbutmajority SouthAsian. Some initiatives(The Festival ofMaking) effortlessly attracted audiences that reflected the ethnicmix of the areawheretheywerestaged,preciselybecausetheyweresowellpitched–appealingespeciallytotheinterestsofyoungadultsandfamilies.ThisinitselfisanachievementinEastLancashirewheretherearenoready-madeaudiencesforthiskindculturalattendance.Finally,adurationalprojectinPendle(Shapes of Water Sounds of Hope) enabled an evolution of relations over via artistic andconversationalencountersthataddressesdirectlysourcesofmistrustanddivision.Thishascreatedthebasicconditionsforsustainablechange.LocalownershipofthecanalThecanalwasnotonly thebackdropand setting for theprogramme’s commissionsbutalso theirinspiration,providingavisuallycompellingandhistoricallysignificantenvironmentthatinfusedtheartworkswithimaginativecontentandprovidedalivinglinktotheregion.Itallowedpeopletore-claim the canal as heritage, including those who for reasons of vulnerability felt least confidentabout using it. idle women provided a floating art space for women throughout the spring andsummer of 2016 with four different moorings along the canal. By privileging access for veryvulnerablewomen,includingthosewhohadexperiencedviolenceandabuse,itbuiltupasustainedfollowing and demonstrated the emancipatory potential of art in women’s lives. The canal alsoinfluencedaphilosophyof‘slowart’that lenttheprogrammecoherenceandpurposeandinformsplansforthefutureofthecanalasaculturalandleisureresource.The‘Slow’WayThefeaturesofthecanalthatarecentraltotheprogrammeandthetempoitsuggestsarefirst,theideaofthewaterasacommunicationsarterybetweencommunitiesandsecond,achangeofpacefrom the ‘fast lanes’ ofmodern life (typifiedby fibreoptics ormotorways) to the slowmotionofwater transport along the once thriving canal. SSW has used use art to create a third to re-experiencethevalueof‘slow’inourlivesandhowslowingdowncanhelppeopletorelateinnewwaystotheirenvironment,communitiesandtoeachother.

TheprogrammetakesitsnamefromapoembyIanMcMillanthattellsthestoryoftheLeeds&LiverpoolCanal,theoriginal‘SuperHighway’oftheIndustrialRevolutionthattransformedPennineLancashire,bringingwithithundredsofmillsandthousandsofhomesandplacingitattheepicentreofglobalcommerceandculture.

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(https://superslowway.org.uk/about/)InSSW, this is awaterandcanalmetaphor for theprogrammeasawhole,but inmanycasesartworksandprocesseshavetakenplaceinorbytheactualcanalitself,inthiswaybringingtogetheraculturalimaginaryandreallifepresenceofthecanal.HeritageandartaschangeagentSSW has developed and refined an approach to programming that will build arts capacity goingforward. Laurie Peake, explicitly (and rightly in our view) rejects a consumer choicemodelwhereculturalprogrammingisaquestionofreflectinglocaldemographicsandassociatedtastesinordertomaximise ticket sales. Theapproach takenby theprogrammehasbeen to regardart as a changeagentwhereculturalprogrammersmustreflectheritageandcurrentlifesituations.Theprogrammehascelebratedthehistoricalresourcesoftheareaanditscommunitiesbyrespondingtoheritageintheformofthecanal,textilesandothermanufacturingindustries,understandingthattheseoccupyanimportantpositioninregionalidentityandsenseofplace.Howeverithastakencaretoavoidthetrapof a backward lookingnostalgia, preferring to re-appropriateheritage through contemporaryart. This has involved calculated risks informed by an over-arching vision that has offered newopportunitiestoexperiencewhatmayneverhavebeenexperiencedbeforePartnershipworkingforfuturedevelopmentThere are limitations towhat a cultural programme can do, certainly over the course of just twodelivery years. For example, the regenerationof thebuilt andnatural environment requires hugecapital investmentandisnotinanycasetheprimaryroleofanartsprogramme.However,anartsprogrammeworking in partnership or in collaborationwith the primary responsible agencies canmakea valuable contribution to generatingnew cultural capital and sense civic responsibility andprideintheregion.PartnersandcollaboratingorganisationsnowincludetheCanalandRiverTrust,LocalAuthorities,majorpublic institutionssuchas theUniversityandothereducationalproviders,existingarts institutions,communityorganisationsandthebusinesssector.Thesepartnershipsareat various stages of development as a result of the first phase of the programme, which hasestablishedasolidplatformforcooperationthatwillbeneededfortheambitiousplanforeseeninthesecondphase.SupportingsociallyengagedPracticeSSW’sprogramminghassupportedartistsinwhatareoftennewformsofsociallyengagedpractice,workingincircumstancesthatareoftennotwellunderstood.Theprogrammehasexploredvariousways to support artists and organisations (these are explored further in part 4, of this report).Sometimes,asthecasestudieswillshow,therehasbeenaconsiderablestrainonprogrammestaffandartistsalike,asworkhadtobeadaptedonthegroundtoconditionsandsituationsthatcouldnothavebeenforeseen.Inthefirstyearoftheprogrammeanumberofprojectsranintodifficulties,whichwereaddressedoftenwithasteeplearningcurveandsuccessfuloutcomes.ExtendingthereachoftheartsSSW has delivered an injection of much needed investment in arts provision and this hasconsiderablyextendedthereachoftheartsintocommunitiesalongtheLeedsandLiverpoolCanal,where, depending on the nature of the project, audiences varying in size from single figures to

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hundredshaveattended,participatedandenjoyedartseventsandprocesses,perhapsforthefirsttimeintheirlives.