From Opposition to Encounter (When the Answer is No — Meeting #2 recap)
Thank you to everyone who joined the second “When the Answer is No” conversation today (29th August 2025).
What began as a response to a personal no in my previous blog has grown into a wider, collective inquiry about what’s shifting in our (the arts, culture & creative) sector - and what we want to build next.
This time we reframed the discussion from opposition to encounter: instead of only pushing against broken structures (which there is a time and place for, particularly because injustices should always be called out); we made space today to discuss who (and what) we need to be in relationship with to move forward? Thanks to David Reece for the inspiration and Ian Abbott for really nudging this forward. Legends.
In our first conversation back in July, the room named familiar realities - classed exclusion, recruitment practices that privilege “fit,” and the cost of “being seen” - but today there was clear appetite to move beyond diagnosis into practice.
For those of you that have been watching this conversation evolve but may have felt uncomfortable about being involved or about contributing - please know and be assured that the conversation has moved on from exclusionary practices, like the issue of classism, to broader systemic change type of thinking. Yes, barriers are a large part of the broken system, but this work (and evolving conversation) is not defined by any one group, identity, intersectionality or geography. It’s more than all of those parts put together and encourage everyone that is interested in this to get involved.
A few threads stood out:
Collective power over lone heroics. Smaller, self-organised groups can prototype the futures we need faster than top-down fixes or waiting for full on seismic crumbling - let’s think about multiple phoenixes rising from the ashes.
Designing for the end. Rather than retrofitting failing systems, what if we design for endings - and for what comes after?
Accountability. If we organise, we make decisions visible; if government/institutions design roles “for” us, we ask how transparency and listening will be guaranteed.
A simple, shared next step emerged: a Melting Pot Gathering in the Midlands in November (date/venue TBC).
It’ll be lightweight, low-hierarchy, and hands-on. More info to follow but we’d like it to be potluck-style: everyone will be invited to bring some food & drinks. Everyone will also be invited to bring a small “turn” - something to share, consider, inspire or provoke… so we’re building, not just talking.
If you’d like to help shape it - or offer a space - please get in touch. More information to follow.
My email is hello@amydaltonhardy.co.uk