Conference for Portsmouth's creative and cultural sectors aims to put city on the map

The all-day event entitled ‘We Connect,’ will be held on Monday at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard.

Organised by Portsmouth Creates, an independent organisation dedicated to supporting collective growth of the creative and cultural sectors, it has three main aims: supporting to build the capacity of organisations and individuals; championing the need for greater investment across the city and identifying opportunities for sector growth.

Delegates will get to hear speakers from Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Film Hub South West/British Film Institute and Historic England, followed by a series of workshops.

Tim Rusby, chair of Portsmouth Creates said: ‘Our aim is to pull everyone together from the city and wider region, advocating and championing the growth of our creative and cultural economy. We’ll do this by providing individuals and organisations with the tools to develop forward thinking and ambitious bids. The most exciting prospect for delegates is that they’ll hear first-hand from key funders on how to turn their creative ambitions into reality.’

Portsmouth Creates’ newly appointed CEO, Gemma Nichols, added: ‘As an Arts Council England Priority Place, we understand the importance of supporting our sector to drive investment and growth. Our role as creative advocates for the city is key to moving Portsmouth forward and putting us on the map. We hope that this flagship We Connect event, amongst our other delivery areas, will become an annual opportunity to bring together our creative community, building and focusing on the growth and wider economic impact of our city.’