Come join us in person for our next Culture Network event , happening on Thursday 26th March. These events exist to connect, share ideas, and learn more about ongoing opportunities across the cultural landscape in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.
The Culture Network is for anyone who wants to be involved in the vibrant cultural scene across Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole. Whether you work in theatre or film, visual arts or literature/poetry, music, dance, heritage, or something else, this is for those both emerging and established.
Join us for drinks and spend an evening meeting new friends and collaborators. The group is about building a community of artists, creatives, and organisations who’d like to be part of something special where we live in wonderful Dorset.
This event will include:
– A 30-minute panel discussion
– Structured networking
– Opportunities to chat informally
This time we’re working alongside Access Consultant Emma Armitage. We recognise that networking environments can sometimes feel overwhelming. We want to make this event as welcoming, comfortable, and easy to navigate as possible. When booking, you’ll be invited to share your access requirements so we can make the day as relaxed and supportive as possible.
When you arrive at Scaplen’s Court, please enter via the main entrance on Sarum Street (to the right of Poole Museum). You will be welcomed by Rohan, Emma, and members of the Cultural Compact. For more information about the venue, please visit the Scaplen’s Court website.
For this event, we will be using a traffic light system to indicate whether you are open to being approached or prefer to take the lead:
Green – Happy to be approached
Amber – Open to conversation, but please check first
Red – Prefer not to be approached unless I initiate
You can choose the colour sticker that best reflects how you’re feeling on the day when you arrive.
We are also offering a buddy system for anyone who would like support settling in, navigating the space, or making introductions. If this would be helpful, please indicate this when booking your ticket or let us know when you arrive.
Pannelists:
Sean Aita MBE – Sean Aita has directed professional theatre productions and immersive events across the UK, continental Europe and in Canada. He has delivered performance-focused workshops in London, Mexico City, Vancouver and Los Angeles. His plays have been toured extensively both in Britain and overseas. Sean was awarded the Check-Out Theatre Award for his original play Yallery Brown, co-produced with Forkbeard Fantasy at the Greenwich Theatre London. Sean also won the IVCA Clarion Award, Europe’s most prestigious CSR and Humanitarian Communications Award and was shortlisted for The Stage Award for Achievement in Regional Theatre for his work as Artistic Director of Forest Forge Theatre Company . Sean is a member of the Trinity College London Drama Panel and was a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Art and Design. He has had a long and successful association with Vienna’s English Theatre creating productions in the main house and for the touring department. Sean was also the first Principal and a co-founder of VETA (Vienna’s English Theatre Academy). Sean was awarded an MBE for services to English language and culture in Europe in the King’s New Year’s honours list 2026
Sharon James – I am a Black, queer mother and visual artist based in Dorset, working in painting, drawing, and printmaking. I am the Global Majority Co-ordinator for Access BEAF, supporting artists from underrepresented backgrounds to access opportunities, networks, and visibility within the arts. I also work as an artist mentor for the Neuro Diverse Art Group at Access BEAF, supporting neurodivergent artists to develop confidence and autonomy in their practice. In addition, I am the founder and chairperson of Boscombe Radical Arts Collective, an artist-led initiative focused on strengthening community networks and amplifying marginalised voices. I recently became a trustee for Dorsey Visual Artists. My work is driven by a commitment to equity, representation, and sustainable creative communities.
Leah Rachel – Leah is an access coordinator, actor, editorial consultant, and writer. She works across all variations of film and TV in the UK, as well as in theatre; and is a passionate activist for improved disability representation and accessibility in the arts – as a proudly disabled creative herself. Recently released work includes as the access coordinator on the BIFA-winning and BAFTA-nominated film ‘Pillion’; and her original pilot script has been officially selected in six screenwriting festivals, including winning ‘Best TV Pilot’ in an IMDb accredited festival. She was also recently interviewed as the guest on a ‘TV Makers’ podcast episode, to spotlight accessibility in the industry and how critical the access coordinator role is. Leah is represented by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, and Dazey Talent.
Tam Gilbert – Tam is a Bournemouth-based writer, Theatre and Access and Audio Description Consultant. She graduated from the University of Kent with a second-class BA Hons English Degree in 2001 and is Co-Director of Millstream Theatre, a community company of learning-disabled actors based at the Museum of East Dorset which she co-founded in 2014 and for which she produces, co-writes and directs annual productions. Tam is currently Trainee Artistic Director at Extant, the UK’s leading professional performing arts company for visually impaired artists. She has worked with disability-led companies Double Act Theatre, Diverse City, LinkUpArts and Disability Arts Online and extensively since 2019 with Extant, where she trained on their Pathways Writers and Directors Programmes. Tam showcased her short play ‘Confined’ at the Cockpit Theatre in London (2022) and was commissioned to write a one act play, ‘One 2 One ‘in the same year. Tam was a writer on the Devising Team for Extant’s Award-winning Audio Drama, ‘Unseen’ (2023), a project that highlighted domestic abuse of visually impaired women. As a visually impaired artist, Tam is passionate about making hard-hitting, historical accessible work, which embeds Creative Audio Description from the outset, so that it is not seen as an add-on, but an intrinsic, invisible thread.