Creative Exchange
A project which aims to help develop talent, skills and ideas among the creative community in Bedfordshire.
Artists & Associates
Our Creative Exchange programme is devised to support local creatives by nurturing talent, developing skills and ideas through advice, mentorship and partnership.
Currently, Creative Exchange includes two projects – a series of events under the title ‘Make it Happen’ to set the scene for the launch of this year’s Producer Hub 2026/27 in the autumn and ‘Working with Bedford Prison’, a programme designed to explore opportunities for creatives to work with prisoners in Beford.
Make it Happen!
Got a creative idea but not sure how to make it a reality? Want to organise a project for your local community? You may not think of yourself as a creative producer but you are ready to make it happen? Then this is for you!
As a precursor to the 2026/27 Producer Hub programme starting this autumn, we invite creatives, community groups and anyone who wants to bring people together for a common cause to attend a short series of events this September.
Other dates for your diary:
15th October, 6-7:30pm ‘Pitch Up’ – free networking event in the Bunyan Basement for local creatives looking to meet other like-minded creatives. Pitch a project you’re working on or a partner you’re looking for in 3 minutes! Booking link to follow.
10th December, 6-7:30pm ‘Christmas Social’ in The Ship, St Cuthbert’s Street – a fun pre-Christmas social event for creatives. Just turn up!
For more details on Producer Hub, see our For creatives page.
Working with Bedford Prison
We programmed two Creative Exchange sessions exploring opportunities for creatives to work with prisoners in Bedford and to find out more about the benefits and challenges associated with creative work in a prison.
The initial workshop event on 26th May 2026 was at HMP Bedford and open to local creatives keen to learn more about the prison. Staff from HMP Bedford explained what life is like in this town centre prison and offered their perspective on how creativity and art might support rehabilitation objectives. Creatives had a chance to see inside the prison and ask questions about working in this context.
The follow-up ‘response’ session was held on 25th June. We explored ideas for creative projects in collaboration with Bedford prison.
For more details, read our news article here.
Working in partnership with HMP Bedford.
Photo credit: Andy Willsher
