WHAT IS THE VOICE ASSEMBLY?
The VOICE Assembly is a permanent part of New Art Exchange’s leadership. It brings together people from different backgrounds to shape the future of arts and culture in Hyson Green. Everyone in the Assembly has an equal voice.
We came together to answer a big question: What is the future of culture in Hyson Green?
Together, we share ideas, ask questions, and imagine new possibilities for our community. We listen to each other with respect. We take time to reflect before making decisions. The VOICE Assembly is not just about giving opinions. It is about leadership. It is about creating real change.
Every conversation, every decision, moves us closer to a future led by the people who live here. This journey has been about trust, care, and creativity. It has been about believing that culture belongs to everyone.
Through the Assembly, we are building something different.
Something lasting.
A new way of leading together. We are proud of what we have started.
And we are excited for what will come next.
IMAGINING TOGETHER
May 2024
Our first residency was about starting the journey together.
We met for the first time and took time to get to know each other.
We talked about what culture means to us. We shared our hopes, our worries, and our dreams for Hyson Green.
We asked questions like: What does belonging feel like? Who gets to decide what culture is? How can we create a future where everyone’s voice matters?
We used games, conversations, and creative activities to open up.
We imagined different futures for our neighbourhood. Some ideas were small and simple. Some were bold and brave. Every idea mattered.
The most important thing we built was trust. We learned to listen without judgement. We found confidence to speak our minds. This residency set the foundations for everything that followed.
It showed that leadership can be shared. It reminded us that imagination is powerful. Together, we began to dream of a different future.
And we believed that it could be real.
MAPPING POSSIBILITIES
September 2024
In our second residency, we looked more closely at Hyson Green.
We explored the spaces, stories, and strengths of our community.
We asked: What is already here? What needs to be protected? What can we build together?
We worked with artists and thinkers who helped us see our neighbourhood differently. We mapped the places that matter to us.
We talked about the spaces that feel welcoming, and the ones that feel closed.
We shared memories, challenges, and hopes. Together, we imagined new ideas for our streets, our parks, and our cultural spaces.
We thought about gardens, meeting places, celebrations, and public art.
We talked about how culture can be part of everyday life. This residency was about seeing the potential all around us.
It was about building a vision rooted in care, respect, and creativity.
We realised that change does not always mean starting from scratch.
And we saw change already taking root.
SHAPING IDEAS
December 2024
In
our third residency, we moved from ideas to action.
We spent time thinking deeply about what real change could look like.
We asked:
What can New Art Exchange do?
What can New Art Exchange advocate for?
What can local communities and grassroots groups do?
We worked together to sort through all the ideas we had shared.
We discussed what was most important. We listened carefully to each other.
We learned to disagree respectfully and find common ground.
We created cards with different suggestions and sorted them into themes.
We talked about creativity, safety, spaces for young people, and access to the arts.
We thought about what was possible now and what needed more time.
This residency showed us that leadership means making choices.
It means balancing dreams with real steps forward. Through our conversations, we formed a clearer vision. A vision made not by one voice, but by many working together.
And the future started to take shape.
DECIDING OUR FUTURE
Our final residency was about making decisions. We came back together to look at everything we had created.
We asked:
What matters most?
What should happen first?
What do we want to say to New Art Exchange?
We worked in small groups and big circles. We listened, discussed, and voted.
We shared why certain ideas felt urgent and important. Together, we chose the top priorities for the future.
We spoke about creating safe, welcoming spaces.
We spoke about supporting young people and families.
We spoke about protecting creativity and making culture part of everyday life.
This residency was filled with energy, honesty, and hope.
We were not just imagining anymore.
We were deciding.
We were shaping real commitments. By the end, we had built a strong set of recommendations.
Recommendations made by the people of Hyson Green, for Hyson Green.
We left knowing this was not the end.
And it was the beginning of a new way forward. March 2025
THANK YOU
Thank you to every member of the VOICE Assembly.
This booklet is a record of what took place inside the VOICE Assembly, New Art Exchange’s permanent citizen leadership forum. It shows what participatory cultural leadership looks and feels like in practice. This journey was guided by your ideas, your trust, and your courage to imagine a different future. These words were inspired by what we heard, felt and shared.
Together, we have dreamt. Together, we have shaped. Together, we have grown. And now we build together.
Illustration: Jasmine Thompson