New community engagement development programme for Newcastle's cultural sector

North East Museums is delighted to announce a fully-funded Community Engagement Development training programme for employees and freelancers working in Newcastle's arts and culture sector.

The programme is a collaboration between North East Museums and Laura Crossley Consultancy Limited, and will be facilitated by Laura Crossley, Marek Romaniszyn and Sarah Plumb. It is supported by Creative Central NCL, Newcastle City Council and North East Mayoral Strategic Authority.

Who is it for?

• Employees and freelancers who engage with communities in their work, and want to improve and develop their practice
• People and organisations who are part of the Creative Central NCL initiative
• People who work with or for other arts and culture organisations based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Programme benefits

The programme will reference the Art Fund’s Going Places Community Engagement Toolkit throughout. 

Participants will:

• Gain the skills, tools, and confidence to plan, conduct, and evaluate community engagement
• Understand how to take an ethical approach to community engagement
• Develop the skills, knowledge, and attributes needed to develop and deliver effective and inclusive community engagement practice.

Participants will be in four cohorts.

Cohort 4 will be aimed at individuals who may have more experience of developing and delivering community engagement work.

The programme is made up of three sessions. The first and third sessions will be in-person at North East Museums venues in central Newcastle. The second session will be online. Participants will be required to complete reflective tasks between sessions.

We expect participants to attend all three workshops. If you book a place and find you can't come please let us know as soon as you can so we can offer your place to someone else.

Programme content will cover:

• What community engagement is and why it matters, including insights into local communities
• How to take an ethical approach to community engagement
• Different approaches to community engagement
• How to remunerate and compensate participants
• Qualities and skills needed for community engagement
• How to effectively work in partnership with other organisations
• How to effectively fundraise for community engagement work
• How to adopt a strategic approach to community engagement
• How to advocate for and embed community engagement across your organisation
• How to evaluate community engagement.

In the workshops, we’ll:

• Learn, explore, and reflect on content and practice together
• Practice community engagement skills
• Reflect on your learning
• Connect and build relationships with others in your cohort.

The programme is supported by learning resources, which will be available to all participants.

Prior to the sessions we will be sending out an online survey to understand your needs, interests, and current experience of community engagement.

Cohort 1

• Session 1: Monday 16 November 2026, 10am – 1pm, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Session 2: Tuesday 15 December 2026, 9.30am – 12.30pm, online session
• Session 3: Tuesday 26 January 2027, 10am – 1pm, Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne

Book for Cohort 1 (we expect participants to attend all three workshops)

Cohort 2

• Session 1: Monday 16 November 2026, 2–5pm, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Session 2: Tuesday 15 December 2026, 1.30–4.30pm, online session
• Session 3: Tuesday 26 January 2027, 2–5pm, Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne

Book for Cohort 2 (we expect participants to attend all three workshops)

Cohort 3

• Session 1: Tuesday 17 November 2026, 10am – 1pm, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Session 2: Wednesday 16 December 2026, 9.30am – 12.30pm, online session
• Session 3: Wednesday 27 January 2027, 10am – 1pm, Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne

Book for Cohort 3 (we expect participants to attend all three workshops)

Cohort 4 (for practitioners with more experience of Community Engagement work)

• Session 1: Tuesday 17 November 2026, 2–5pm, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Session 2: Wednesday 16 December 2026, 1.30–4.30pm, online session
• Session 3: Wednesday 27 January 2027, 2–5pm, Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne

Book for Cohort 4 (we expect participants to attend all three workshops)

We will be in touch to confirm your place and with more information about the programme. 

Note: We may need to check your organisation is eligible to join the programme before confirming your place.

Laura Crossley Consulting Ltd provides consultancy services to arts and heritage organisations. We are strategic thinking partners, supporting organisations to explore issues, critically think through ideas and options, and find tailored, evidence-based solutions that work.

Laura, Marek and Sarah have worked together over a number of years and are the team behind Art Fund’s Going Places Community Engagement Toolkit. The Toolkit was produced in collaboration with 20 museums and galleries (of differing scales and types), participating in the programme, and offered practical guidance for developing and delivering community engagement activities.

They are highly experienced community engagement specialists with experience of designing, delivering and supporting organisations to embed practical and ethical approaches to working with communities and community partners; developing training and mentoring programmes, and digital resources to build confidence and capacity for staff and volunteers at every level, and with varying degrees of experience, across museums, galleries and heritage sites; developing and delivering participatory projects and programmes with and for communities; and creating inclusive, accessible frameworks and guidelines to support museum practice.

For any questions about the programme please email: Anthony.Gonzalez@northeastmuseums.org.uk