Portsmouth takes centre stage for inclusivity at We Connect 2025
Portsmouth is set to lead a meaningful conversation on inclusive creativity this September.
We Connect 2025: Inclusion in the Arts will be hosted by Portsmouth Creates, in partnership with arts organisation This New Ground, on Thursday 25 September at Portsmouth Guildhall.
The one-day, accessible conference will bring together leading voices in a bid to champion disability-led creativity.
Starting from 10am, the day will unfold across three sessions of panel talks, creative workshops and skills sharing. Together they will create an environment where attendees can be inspired with new perspectives to elevate their own creativity, collaborate through shared learning experiences and contribute ideas towards building a more inclusive, confident and resilient creative community in Portsmouth.
The speaker panels will set the stage for leading and local organisations such as All In (Arts Council England), theatre company Zoo Co and aerialists Head Over Wheels, who will each examine the future of accessibility in the arts. Arts producers The Hale and StopGap Dance will go on to explore the meaning of inclusivity in creative practice, while storyteller Tom Ryalls, performance group Access All Areas and local award-winning braille artist Clarke Reynolds – known as Dr Dot – will address how governance can be made more accessible.
The conference will also host interactive workshops designed to immerse attendees in inclusive practice. This New Ground will lead sessions on inclusive digital art, while disabled visual artist Tilley Milburn will deliver Puffing and Wooling – a calming experience featuring meditative, mindful and poetic musings. These sessions will be mutually shared and held within a completely safe and nurturing space.
Nathalie Russell-Clarke, Co – Director This New Ground CIC. said: “At This New Ground we believe in the talent of people with a learning disability – shaping the arts, leading, and taking centre stage. Co-curating We Connect 2025 shows this in action: artists with a learning disability setting the agenda, sharing their creativity with pride, and inviting others to join them. With Portsmouth now home to our second hub, this event is both a celebration and a call to action – building a cultural sector where everyone truly belongs.”
Gemma Nichols, CEO of Portsmouth Creates, said: “Building a resilient creative sector in Portsmouth means ensuring it is accessible, inclusive and developed through the importance of lived experiences. We Connect is part of that journey – an opportunity to shine a national spotlight on the talent we have here while connecting us with inspiring voices from across the UK. Now in its third year, our partnership with This New Ground makes that focus even stronger, placing lived experience at the heart of the conversation.”
She added: “Each year We Connect becomes bigger, bolder and more ambitious. This conference is a chance for people to leave with ideas they can put into action straight away – whether in their own organisation, creative practice or wider community. The conversations and connections made in one day can ripple out for months and years to come, strengthening Portsmouth’s role as a city of inclusive creativity.”
Tickets for We Connect 2025 can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inclusion-in-the-arts-tickets-1590662376989
ENDS
