A unique way to help shape culture and creativity in West Cumbria has been launched.
Arts programme Everyone Here has launched the Jury for Joy – a long-term citizens’ jury for West Cumbria about culture and creativity.
Everyone Here, one of the 39 Creative People and Places projects supported by Arts Council England, are inviting people from across the region to sign up and help make decisions on how money should be invested to support culture and creativity where they live.
It has randomly selected 9,000 households to receive an invitation to take part in Jury for Joy.
From this process 30 representative individuals will be selected and asked to make decisions on projects and budgets across West Cumbria.
In recent years, citizens’ juries and citizens’ assemblies have grown in popularity as an alternative, more democratic way to make decisions.
They are regarded as an effective way to address the concerns of many about a growing sense of detachment from a political process that may often seem remote and not for them.
This is the first time that a citizens’ jury has been used to shape an ongoing creative and cultural programme in the UK.
Sam Hunt, co-director of Everyone Here, said: “At Everyone Here we believe creativity is for everyone and can be explored in many ways.
“West Cumbria enjoys an enviably rich cultural history – we have one of the oldest festivals not just in Cumbria but the world with Egremont Crab Fair and traditions like Uppies and Downies that go back generations.
“But what does the future of culture and creativity look like here and who gets to decide on that future?
“We think that everyone is creative, and everyone has a right to a cultural life however they define that. We want the joy that culture and creativity can bring to be at the heart of our communities.
“We want to work to help bring in sustained, long-term investment for culture here and we think that the best people to make decisions on how that investment is made are the people who live here.”
If you live in West Cumbria, are over 18, and your household has received one of the 9,000 invites to take part in the Jury for Joy you can now sign up online or by using the Freephone number provided.
It only takes a few minutes to register either online or over the phone.
Jury members don’t need any prior knowledge to take part in the Jury for Joy, participants are just asked to bring themselves, their life experience and a willingness to listen and take part.
The deadline to register is Sunday March 31. Those who are selected and go on to take part will receive a gift of £200 in shopping vouchers as a thank you.
