Arts and communities

Arts and communities

About this theme

This theme covers topics relating to achieving positive change and resilience for UK communities of all kinds through engagement with arts, culture and creative practices. It is one of our current programmes for Fellowships, launched in 2023, and has been developed in consultation with our Arts and Culture working group. Fellows’ stories

Blogs & conversations Renegade Guides: the places we go, the stories we share

Writer, guide, and founder of Living London, Saira Niazi spent her Churchill Fellowship in the USA exploring how tours and storytelling can be more inclusive, ethical, and community-focused. Her travels took her through 41 neighbourhoods, 32 guided tours, and 36 interviews with “renegade guides,” organisers, and storytellers, culminating in the creation of the Renegade Guides Handbook. Since its launch, Saira has been sharing her findings widely and continues to lead tours, write, and collaborate with communities.

By Saira Niazi, 2025

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