Change-making in action

Empowered communities : what would make a prosperous, planet-positive Southampton in 2050? Last night, we gathered at Mettricks cafe in Woolston to chat about our vision for the city, during an RSA Southampton event. We heard from three amazing people who have a vision and are working as hard as they can, building community, to… Read More

Southampton Climate Action Network (SoCAN) update

Did you know that Southampton Collective Directors, Mandi, Clare, Rebecca and Katie have all been involved in the development of the Southampton Climate Action Network (SoCAN) over the last couple of years? We have been working with Liz Batten, who has been the instigator and lead in the network’s development since late 2022. Katie and Mandi… Read More

Coproducing work together: an arts approach with Drawing on the Outside

Image: Drawing on the Outside Workshop May 2023 at God’s House Tower, Southampton In September 2022 I embarked on a new project with local visual artist Sarah Filmer called Drawing on the Outside – a space for men who are experiencing isolation to come together and draw and make. The project was always centred around… Read More

Post pandemic research confirms major issues & potential of UK public art sector

Image credit: ‘Diversity and Equality and Inclusion and Empathy’ by Greg Bunbury (b.1976), Black Outdoor Art. Image used in Beam’s Research Report ‘Building a More Diverse & Inclusive Public Art Sector’. From 2019-2023 I was Chair of ixia – UK Public Art Think Tank. An organisation, which has its roots back in the 1980’s when… Read More

Introducing a new member of the SoCollective Team!

Local independent art producer Katie Daley-Yates becomes the 4th Co-Director of the Southampton Collective along with Mandi Bissett, Clare Diaper and Rebecca Kinge. Katie has been based in Southampton for 10 years now working freelance across the city on a great many different visual arts projects including: ‘a space’ arts Artist Development Programme, Sarah Filmer’s… Read More

Southampton’s future – inclusivity is key

We regularly hear of meetings, research and policies about the vision and planning for Southampton’s future. We welcome all of this. But sometimes we wonder how the local community is represented in meetings and research. How have residents been involved in co-creating policy? We have seen that often there are places at the table for… Read More

Public art for Riverside Park

Here at The Southampton Collective, we are delighted to be a partner in two exciting initiatives for the Riverside Park area of Southampton. Southampton based independent visual art producer Katie Daley-Yates of HostProductions has commissioned two public art projects forRiverside Park and the surrounding neighbourhoods, by local artists sarah filmer andDeborah Gearing. The projects will… Read More

Air Pollution is Heartbreaking

Our new air quality campaign hits the streets of Southampton this week to highlight the damaging impacts of air pollution on children. We commissioned local artist Nathan Evans to create striking posters which make clear the link between dirty air and children’s health. They will appear near schools and playgrounds across the city on Thursday… Read More

The “Mush”Room – a pop-up space where we re-imagine our place

Date and time: 20th October at 7pm What: What are you going to do this winter to make sure you stay healthy? Where: Zoom event online with a Portswood community focus Come and join this community-led conversation about what we can all do this winter to ensure we stay healthy of mind and body. With… Read More

Positive Futures

On 20th May 2020, we will be part of the organising team for the Positive Futures online event. This is all about young people, arts, creativity and mental health. Details here. This event is a partnership with Arts and Health South West, Hampshire Cultural Trust, and us, in our role with the Southampton Art In… Read More

Drop Me A Line

Artist Claudia Friend is helping everyone make something together! Make a line – draw, scribble, sculpt, build, fold, paint, create or find a line – just one – curved, colourful, straight, loopy, dotted, thick, thin…get creative! Send the pic to Claudia on Instragram, Facebook or email doloresfroh@gmail.com including your name, location (e.g. Hampshire), Instagram tag…and… Read More

Community conversations

Today, our Health Model Village joined SO:Linked community project in the first of a series of events around Southampton, hosting drop-in events at Lordshill Library and Lordswood’s Kings Community Church. We asked people what they like about their areas and plotted their local gems on our big map. People told us how they like to… Read More

Art and health: Wed 26 Feb 12-2pm gathering

Interested in the connections between creativity and health? Join the informal gathering of the Southampton Art in Health Forum this Wed 26 Feb 12-2pm at NST City’s Tyrell’s cafe in Guildhall Square. More here.

Art and Health – February gathering

On Monday 3rd February 2020, we were at Gods House Tower with 27 people from a range of arts projects, health services and community groups. This was a combined event between CHAOS (Creative, Heritage and Arts Organisations of Southampton) and the Southampton Art In Health Forum. We all shared a little bit about ourselves. We… Read More

May is the month of creativity and health!

Getting creative is good for our health. Whether you like dance, theatre, visual arts, cooking, gardening, music, cooking, sewing, woodwork (anything really), there’s so much potential to be creative and enjoy the creativity of others. The evidence says that arts can make a powerful contribution to health and wellbeing. As the Parliamentary Inquiry into Creative… Read More

What’s coming up

What’s On for a Sustainable and Healthy Southampton? Here’s some events that we are involved in, or think you’d like to know about: Getting net zero on track: a workshop with Hope for the Future This will explore the role of People’s Assemblies for a zero carbon future. Fri 31st Jan 2020 6pm at Edmund Kell Hall.… Read More

Getting net-zero on track: a workshop in Southampton

This workshop, with a focus on the role of a People’s Assembly, is being held on Friday 31 January, 6pm, at Edmund Kell Hall in Southampton. Book your tickets here Hope for the Future are specialists in training citizens to have effective conversations with their representatives. This workshop focuses on how a People’s Assembly can… Read More

Southampton Art in Health Forum

Southampton Art in Health Forum 3rd Feb 2020 – 10am til lunchat Gods House Tower SO14 2NY We’re teaming up with the CHAOS network on 3rd February. CHAOS is a network for creative, heritage and arts organisations of Southampton. The gathering starts at 10am with a general CHAOS meeting, and then we’ll focus on health from 11.30am.… Read More

Breathing Spaces pilot draws to a close

We’ve had an amazing year with our Breathing Spaces project in St Denys, including: hosting five Clean Air Cafes; ten particulate matter air quality sensors installed across St Denys; and a whole load of community action. Hundreds of local people have been involved. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of enthusiasm and action for… Read More

Collective action

Happy Autumn! Our Breathing Spaces project is coming to an end, and we have our final Clean Air Cafe on Saturday 30 November. We’ll be sharing the learning from the project, celebrating the community activity that has been happening and having a think about the future. More details on our Breathing Spaces website. Interested in… Read More

Southampton Health Tour

Interested in access to health, active travel and air quality?  Join us on Fri 27 Sept 2019 for all or part of the day at our Southampton Health Cycle and/or City Wheel and Walk tour. You can join sections of the route, or you can come and chat at our various health stops. For more… Read More

Southampton: our city, our vision

In August 2019, we set up Southampton City Vision as a place for residents and those with a strong connection to the city to have a conversation about what Southampton should be like. We’d been to a Friday Forum gathering at Southampton Voluntary Services on 2 August, and heard about plans for the next phase… Read More

What’s on into September

September steps towards a sustainable, healthy Southampton with the community at the heart. All Aboard, a Musical and Theatrical Treasure Trail at High Tide (11.30-2.30) on Sat Aug 31st 2019 around the River Itchen’s Cobden Bridge and Blue Rail Bridge. Watch out for the troll! This event has received a Breathing Spaces bursary from The… Read More

The Race Is On

Join us for the film premiere of The Race is On. Let’s start a revolution.… Read More

Trusting in the power of our communities to make change

A year is a long time in environmental politics. Last summer, an unknown school girl was striking outside the Swedish Parliament, frustrated by a lack of action on climate change. Back then no-one would have dared to believe that Greta Thunberg would one day be on the cover of Time magazine or nominated for the… Read More

Breathing Spaces: an Update

Our Breathing Spaces project in St Denys is gathering lots of momentum. We’ve had three Clean Air Cafes now, where people have shared their ideas and pledges for action to improve local air quality and promote liveable neighbourhoods. Our next event is a Clean Air Ideas Drop In on Tues 18 June 5-9pm at St… Read More

Cafe and chats

We have two events coming up for April. On Thursday 11th April 6.30-8.30pm we’ll  be at October Books for Cuppa Social, an informal chance for a chat over a drink. Just turn up, all welcome. On Saturday 27th April at 3pm, we’ve got the second Clean Air Cafe in St Denys. If you want to… Read More

Umbrella Arts – talking about health

We had a fantastic time on Sat 23 March exploring arts and health, at the Umbrella Arts Festival at NST City. Hundreds of people came and got involved in singing, interactive theatre, drumming, all sorts of painting and collage activities, board games and joined the health cafes. We made asked people to draw a bike… Read More

Balance For Better: Bring It and Share It on Friday 8th

This year’s IWD falls on a FriYay! and the theme is #balanceforbetter . Women can be very good at hosting, feeding and juggling everybody’s needs but often at a cost to their own enjoyment and participation. We wondered how we could balance organising a fun Friday night out without exhausting ourselves or our wallets. We… Read More

The beginning of great change

Dear Youth 4 Climate Strikers You have our full support. There’s no question that politicians and businesses are asleep at the wheel when it comes to climate change. Here you are, waking them up, encouraging them to rethink their policies and steer the juggernaut away from the edge. It’s not going to be easy. Before… Read More

The Kids Are All Right

“You say it’s either our future and our problem, or we’re too young to understand. Which one is it?” Young people in Southampton and across the world marched and sang and danced in the streets today. This was not a celebration, but a protest about the party the grownups have been having on this planet… Read More

Creating spaces to breathe

Last summer, the Southampton Collective was awarded funding to run a clean air project in Southampton through Nesta’s Connected Communities Innovation Fund. Since then we have refocused the idea from a city-wide project to working with residents in one neighbourhood – St Denys. This new project is called Breathing Spaces because we want to support… Read More

Cuppa Social / Thurs 14 Feb ’19 / 10-12

Following the success of our Cuppa Socials last November and January, we’re heading east to Woolston for the fabulous views from Mettricks at Centenary Plaza, SO19 9UE. Come and put the world to rights with Rebecca Kinge (from The Southampton Collective and Healthwatch Southampton) and Vie Portland (from Vieness) from 10am. Together we can talk… Read More

International Women’s Day Pre-event: Craft & Chat

Fun to be had in Portswood this Saturday with body confidence coach Vie Portland of VieNess. We’ll be chatting and cutting and sticking and all sorts of prep for our International Women’s Day event in March.

Cuppa Social / Thurs 22 Nov ’18 / 6.00 – 7.15pm

We decided that there’s never enough time just to sit and chat, so our very own Rebecca Kinge has organised a ‘Cuppa Social’ on Thurs 22nd November at 6pm at By Sea Coffee Lounge. This is chance for anyone interested in health and sustainability in Southampton to come and chat. It’s very informal, let’s grab… Read More

Death Becomes Her

Deb Wilkes and her partner Chris Townsend are the inspiration behind Southampton’s Dead Good Days, a new festival taking place from 23rd October to 10th November. It is a series of family-friendly events, workshops and talks that will entertain, inform, intrigue, and equip us all to better deal with death, dying and loss. The Southampton… Read More

TEDxSouthampton 2018 – Growth

  In May this year, the Nuffield City Theatre was the venue for for TEDxSouthampton 2018. It was a whole day event featuring creative and challenging ideas around the theme of ‘Growth’, such as: How can we grow inclusive communities? | What has driven the growth of human societies and perhaps even our species? |… Read More

Mapping for Change

Maps are great tools for enabling people to understand and transform their cities. Southampton’s very own Ordnance Survey has OS Greenspace, a comprehensive catalogue of green spaces across the UK; and Mapping for Change has itself run a project to map community air quality in London. Over the summer we also used cartography to raise… Read More

Connected Communities for Clean Air

We are very proud to have been awarded a prestigious grant to help tackle air pollution in Southampton! The ‘Sniffy’ project will help drive community action for clean air by using citizen science and the power of individuals and communities to create change. The Southampton Collective is one of 16 organisations selected to take part… Read More

Get Together for Health and Wellbeing

Artwork is by Kev Munday – Part of the Stand Together exhibition Thursday 12 April 2018 11am-6pm we are having a Get Together for Health and Wellbeing. This is part of Stand Together for Health week at Solent Showcase Gallery, just off Southampton’s Guildhall Square next to Artisan Cafe. Drop in during the day, or… Read More

Press for Progress

  Every year, Dangerous Ideas Southampton marks International Women’s Day by putting on an event and sharing news of gatherings organised by others. Sisters Act! is on 8 March at 7pm at Solent Showcase Gallery with artist Sarah Filmer. Full listings of loads of other #PressforProgress events are available here.   There are also a… Read More

Trailblazing

Creative Places is working for Solent Showcase gallery on behalf of Go Southampton, the city’s Business Improvement District, to produce some school holiday trails for the February half term. Families will be able to explore the city centre with a Spitfire theme, learning about the city during World War II and the role of the… Read More

An evening of live storytelling

Come along to Touch Network’s evening of live storytelling, taking place on Friday 19th January at 7.30pm at Mettricks Old Town (117 High Street). Debs Carter, the Founder of the Touch Network was a speaker at TEDxSouthampton 2016. The speakers for the storytelling evening have been arranged by Rebecca Kinge, one of the Southampton Collective… Read More

Unity and Innovation

  Rebecca Kinge, our coordinator of the Creative Places Southampton, chatted with Alex Ivancevic on Unity 101 radio station during Community Hour, talking about the range of community projects that she has been involved in over the years. Click here to listen to Rebecca chatting about The Southampton Collective, why we need Creative Places and… Read More

Innovation on the High Street

Under our Creative Places project, we are hosting an event “Innovation on the High Street” on Friday 8 December at 9.30am. This is in partnership with Culture Southampton and others. If you would like to attend, please register via Eventbrite. It’s free and we are delighted that a cross section of people involved in various… Read More

Clean Air and Climate Action

  Working towards a sustainable city and liveable neighbourhoods is a key feature of our work. We actively support projects focusing on both climate action and clean air in Southampton. Solent Air Watch is developing low-cost air pollution sensors to enable us all to monitor the quality of the air we breathe. Southampton is one… Read More

Community Chest funding

We are very pleased to have been awarded Community Chest funding by Southampton City Council! This will be used to develop The Southampton Collective as an economically viable, resilient, collaborative community development organisation, which complements the work that others are doing in the city. This includes the outcomes of the council’s consultation on the future… Read More

TEDxSouthampton 2016 – Self & Society

You may have heard of the world famous TED talks, and watched a few online, but did you know that you can watch them live in Southampton? Since 2013, annual TEDx events have been taking place in different venues across the city.… Read More

Our annual reporting

Here at Southampton Collective, we file our annual accounts with Companies House. As well as submitting information about our profit and loss, we also prepare a Review of the Year and a CIC34 statement, which sets out how we have been operating in the community interest. You can ask us for a copy of these… Read More

Do you have a picture of a prosperous, planet-positive Southampton?

We are getting ready for the following event. Could you help us by sharing an image with us in advance that could help us imagine a prosperous, planet-positive Southampton in 2050? The RSA Southampton: Thursday 27 June 5.30 pm: Empowered Communities How can people and communities imagine and deliver a more prosperous, planet-positive Southampton? Southampton’s… Read More