Staging Change – Where Art Meets Action

An advocacy training programme for members and cultural sector partners supporting the next generation of leaders in arts advocacy.

Piloted in 2026, Staging Change is Theatre and Dance NI’s advocacy training programme, developed to build strategic advocacy capacity across the arts sector by equipping arts workers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively engage with politicians and decision-makers.

About the Programme

What is Staging Change?

Staging Change: Where Art Meets Action is an Advocacy training programme, focused on advocacy and influence for the arts.

Level 1 is a five-part TDNI training series. Each session builds on the last, combining practical learning with real-world application. From an introduction to public affairs and policy, storytelling and influence, to collective advocacy, political engagement and campaign strategy.

SESSION 1: An introduction to the political landscape in NI
SESSION 2: Storytelling – Building your message
SESSION 3: Collective Advocacy
SESSION 4: Political Engagement Skills
SESSION 5: Campaign Strategy and Collaboration

Level 2 is in development.

What Participants Can Expect

This practical training led by Sara McCracken (theprclub.co.uk) with guest speakers equips artists, creative workers, freelancers and organisations with the tools to influence local policymakers and elected representatives, shape public discourse and strengthen the sector’s collective voice toward meaningful change.

Together, we look at how decisions get made (from council level right up to Stormont), and how to tell our stories in ways that get understood and heard, and how to take small, practical steps toward stronger impact and lasting change.

Who It’s For

Theatre and Dance NI (TDNI) invite artists, dancers and creatives working freelance or within organisations from across Northern Ireland to join our advocacy training programme, Staging Change: Where Art Meets Action.

If you are passionate about the arts, our jobs and sector, but not sure how to turn that into action, Staging Change explores where we fit into the bigger political picture, and how we can work together to ensure our creative voices develop a more confident, connected and influential arts sector.

Why STAGING CHANGE Matters

It’s time to step up and skill up collectively, to bring our creativity centre stage to start imagining how the arts can help build a better Northern Ireland.

This programme was created to build strategic advocacy capacity across the arts sector by equipping participants with the knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively engage with politicians and decision-makers.

It aims are:

To shift the sector from reactive to proactive engagement with political and policy processes.
To equip participants with practical advocacy and lobbying skills.
To equip participants with practical advocacy and lobbying skills.
To enable participants to articulate the value of the arts in economic, social and cultural terms.
To lay the foundation for sector-wide campaigns and leadership development.

Participant Experience

Staging Change is designed to bring artists together to advocate for themselves and for the sector as a whole. What participants have said:

“I feel inspired and empowered to enact change or articulate to politicians what we need in our sector. Without this training I would feel lost and alone with these issues”

“The arts sector is one of the most resourceful sectors so it makes sense to arm them the the tools to advocate for their future prosperity”

“Incredibly informing and empowering. I have been completely transformed in my confidence in advocacy not only for myself, fellow artists but also the communities I work with.”

“This was very helpful with very practical real-life learning and applicability. Really cemented my understanding of how the arts is perceived outside the sector”

“A much needed and necessary provision for individuals and organisations in the arts/cultural sector. I have worked freelance in the arts for nearly 40 years and this is the first time I have grown to understand the ‘system’”

“This programme is essential to arming the arts sector with the tools it needs to advocate for itself and its ability to thrive rather than survive.”

How to Get Involved

‘Staging Change’ will be running Level 1 later in 2026. To express an interest and to join the waiting list, email advocacy@theatreanddanceni.org.

It is not necessary to be a member of TDNI, we welcome participants from across the Arts and Culture sector.