Project Partners:
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CIP Biography:
Founding Director of a creative placemaking practice, Local, Dr Claire Tymon has 25 years’ experience working in the culture and regeneration sectors, initiating and co-producing creative place-based projects, embedding co-design and participation at the heart of her practice. Claire worked as creative producer and advisor for Durham UK City of Culture 2025 bid and as former Director of FutureEverything, Claire was responsible for the direction and delivery of ‘this place [of mine], an online tool designed by and for young people to engage with their local high street. Claire is an advisor and critical friend to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Culture team, founding member of the National Urban Room Network and is a Trustee of arts charity Mid Pennine Arts. Claire completed a PhD with Sheffield School of Architecture in 2025, demonstrating the role of the maker in placemaking and the impacts of community-driven, co-produced, creative approaches to place-policy-making.
Project Summary:
Culture Labs is exploring how communities can play a more meaningful role in shaping culture and cultural strategy in Kirklees. Through creative, place-based participation, the project is developing and testing new approaches that move beyond consultation, enabling communities, artists, cultural organisations and public partners to shape the cultural life of their neighbourhoods together.
Working across diverse neighbourhoods in Kirklees, Culture Labs brings together co-design, participatory filmmaking, creative dialogue and neighbourhood collaboration to uncover local strengths, build relationships and develop locally owned Cultural Action Plans. Rather than applying a single model, the project explores how participatory practice can respond to different places, creating multiple pathways into participation and supporting active cultural citizenship.
The project forms part of the Place-based Cultural Development and Delivery programme (2022–2027), led by Professor Rowan Bailey at the Centre for Cultural Ecologies in Art, Design and Architecture, University of Huddersfield. Developed collaboratively with Local, Kirklees Council, the Culture Collective and a growing network of community partners, Culture Labs is being refined through practice as an evolving methodology for place-based cultural development. As part of the AHRC Creative Communities programme, the research is generating new insights into belonging, cultural democracy and neighbourhood-led approaches to cultural governance.
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