AGENCY

All human activity needs a particular place in which to happen, none more so than cultural endeavours. At its simplest a performance may take place in the street; a feral work of art may appear on a wall or a poem may be posted on a social media site; found space may provide an adequate home for a pop-up or guerrilla event, while existing galleries and assembly spaces provide the venue for most cultural activity. Inevitably at some stage the users of all of these ad hoc or legacy venues find themselves constrained by the quality of the place, it’s condition or technical shortcomings and start to think how these problems could be resolved.

The administration of the organisation, i.e. it’s trustees/directors, production/curatorial team and stakeholders, may have within its ranks one or more people who can turn these thoughts into a concrete project or strategy.  This is fine if they have the time, the independence of thought and the knowledge and experience to steer the organisation through the critical decision making and development processes needed. It is however, always worth considering if the organisation would benefit from independent objective advice, particularly if there are organisational and governance issues to be addressed as part of the strategy development.

This is where Agency can bring the substantial benefit to a cultural client.  By delving deep into the heart of the organisation, we can help you to formulate an answer to the first essential question why. To help re-frame the reasons behind your endeavour, its purpose, aspirations, potential and to understand what it is about its current operations that are preventing it from achieving these strategic aims. In making this assessment it may be the issues are not just physical but may also include governance, organisational structure, funding streams, engagement, tenure, legal undertaking, legacy and expectations. A shiny new building may not solve the underlying problems, it may not be fundable without organisational change, indeed it may not be fundable at all.

Paul Jenkins 28 04 2026