Catalyst Conversations

Scheduled Available Sessions (please give your availability and we will bring together small groups of respondents to take part. If you are unable to attend please feel free to ask a relevant colleague to attend in your place.

In the opening sequence of Stirling’s 2025 Bid video, one participant says: “It’s not just about hopes and dreams, it’s not just about celebration, it’s about catalysts for long-term change”.

The City of Culture Bid and the Strategic Culture Action Plan (2021) already capture the vision and objectives of the cultural sector, synthesising many meetings and discussions over the past 18 months.

What we want to discuss with you is how these aspirations now become a reality. What are the catalysts that will bring about genuine change – people, buildings, events, opportunities, networks, policies, funding, ideas – and how will this happen.

Who Is Involved

The Bid and Action Plan both acknowledge the need for these conversations to be held with colleagues outwith the cultural sector, as well as those from outwith the area, recognising that genuine change will only happen with a common purpose held by many contributors.

For these initial conversations we’ve invited people that have strategic responsibility or overview in various sectors – business, cultural, public, third, media – to come together in small cross-disciplinary groups that allow for more considered and in-depth discussion.

We’ll create similar opportunities for community organisations, creative practitioners, and the public to contribute their thoughts and ideas, and integrate those with what emerges from the catalyst conversations.

What we’re asking from you

In addition to your experience and thoughts, the greatest gift you can give us is time. We’d be grateful if you could find 90 minutes to join and contribute to one of these conversations. We’re inviting participants to be candid and positive, and generous in your ideas of how we might find solutions.

The conversation will be facilitated by Bryan Beattie and will, broadly, health-check the direction of travel outlined by the Bid and Action Plan, then look at how the various ambitions might be achieved.

What Next?

Once you confirm which dates might suit you we’ll send a short background paper (2 pages) that summarises the Bid and Action Plan’s main themes. You’ll see our timescale for this is quite short, so your early response is much appreciated.

We’d really like you to be part of this, but if the dates don’t suit or you think someone else in your organisation may be more relevant to take part in the conversation, then please share with them.

Many thanks for considering this, and I hope we have the opportunity to meet soon.