Join us for an informal evening of food, music, and conversation. Have your say in shaping Stockton’s UK Town of Culture 2028 bid

As Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council prepares its bid, ARC and The Freelancer Network is hosting a social gathering to ensure the priorities, vision, and needs of local artists and freelancers are at the core of the plans.

This is your chance to directly influence what Town of Culture could make possible for our local creative community. We want to hear your ideas on:

What you need: What opportunities, spaces, or resources would make a real, lasting difference to your creative work?

Reaching further: How can the programme connect with communities across Stockton beyond traditional arts venues?

Local identity: What will make this bid distinctively Stockton?

What to expect:

Free supper and drinks

DJ set and relaxed social vibes

Open, informal ways to share your ideas (including anonymous options)

Your voice and ideas will directly feed into the recommendations submitted for the bid. Places are free but limited to 50 attendees, so please register early to secure your spot.

Access at ARC:

https://arconline.co.uk/access/

Description supplied by the event organiser.