PEOPLE

TESTIMONIALS

West of England Mayoral Combined Authority

Sarah James, Head of Cultural and Creative Economy

Citizens in Power (CIP) have been instrumental in supporting our Unitary Authorities (UAs) in the West of England to embrace, sign up and commit to the UK’s first Citizens Assembly for a regional Authority on Culture. CIP have expertly facilitated space online and via 1 to 1 meetings with the UAs and worked closely with them to understand place based priorities and provide the UA’s with resources and briefings to help make the case internally with officers and Councillors. CiP also sourced other UA’s working with Citizens Assemblies and introduced these local authority officers to our UAs which gave them a really unique, peer to peer opportunity to learn from previous delivery in this space. 

Culture Co-op, ROCHDALE

Greg Bond, director

We invited Citizens in Power to deliver an introductory workshop for 30 people in Rochdale. It was a pleasure working with the team from start to finish. They were very considerate in designing a workshop that would not only inform our network but also leave plenty of space for critical discussion. Our network was left feeling inspired and energised.

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Louisa Hrabowy, UK Lead - Access to Culture,

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is excited to see how the Citizens in Power network is building the momentum and pushing the boundaries for citizen engagement in culture.  I could feel the energy in the room attending the first residency meeting.  A passionate and committed group of change makers from across the UK doing things differently, exploring and testing innovative models truly to put people at the heart of decision-making, increasing cultural diversity and representation, and ultimately improving the chances of more impactful and relevant cultural programmes.

EVERYONE HERE, WEST CUMBRIA

KIERAN SHEEHAN

Citizens In Power have worked very closely with our team supporting us in every area of setting up the Jury for Joy from recruitment, facilitation, member support, networking, and communicating the implementation of the vision of the Jury. At each step I have personally felt respected and nurtured, the impact of David’s work with us will be something that stays with my way of being in the culture sector forever, they have transformed my confidence in re-centring citizens at the heart of our work through deliberative practices. 

ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND

REBECCA BLACKMAN, NATIONAL DIRECTOR FOR ENGAGEMENT AND AUDIENCES + AREA DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDLANDS

Citizens in Power has worked with Arts Council England to support the Creative People and Places network in thinking about how citizens can be more effectively involved in developing cultural engagement, and how they might implement citizens' juries and citizens' assemblies in a cultural context. They were extremely knowledgeable and engaging in sharing learning, and in helping others to develop their own approaches. We would not hesitate to work with them again in seeking to reach and engage more people with culture.

TRANSPARENCY

We believe in operating in an open way. So we have provided information below about:

1) Finances - the way we make Citizens In Power work

2) Services and charges - the way we charge for different kinds of work

3) Operating model - the way we are governed and manage the organisation

If there’s anything else you would like to know, just get in touch.

1) Financial Transparency

• We want to be open about our finances including how we got the company off the ground. 

• We undertook a period of research and development in 2021/22 which led to the foundation of Citizens In Power. This work was supported by a £9,800 grant from Arts Council England via their Develop Your Creative Practice scheme. 

• Since the formal structure of the company was founded in November 2022, Citizens In Power has received no core or regular funding. The company’s income is derived from the fees we receive for a mixture of project design and delivery, organisational development, workshops and presentations. 

• Some of the ongoing projects which Citizens In Power works on are funded. For example, we have led successful applications to Paul Hamlyn Foundation for £100,000 and to Gulbenkian Foundation for £100,000 to support Citizens for Culture which is also supported by Arts Council England and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. 

• We secured two grants to support the Citizens In Power Network from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation with £120,000 and the Gulbenkian Foundation with £50,000 which will support the network and its activities over a 3 year period. 

• You can download Citizens In Power’s latest set of accounts for 2023/24 here and view the profile of the company here on the Companies House website. We have an ongoing relationship with accountants SKS Cansdales. 

2) SERVICES AND CHARGES

For some of work, we are able to offer reduced rates for those without any resources. The higher rates enable us to work with people with little or no resource. As well as a day rate on projects, we offer a number of different presentations and workshops about citizen-led decision-making. This ranges from existing presentations and workshops to bespoke sessions tailored to your circumstances.

We have set out some options below to give you an idea of what’s possible. Of course, if these options are not what you are looking for then just get in touch with us at info@citizensinpower.com

a) Exploratory conversation

We can meet with you online to hear about your situation and your questions. We can offer reflections and thoughts regarding how citizen-led decision-making could become part of your approach. A 30-minute consultation session. 

Free

B) An introduction to citizen led-decision-making

A two-hour mixed presentation and workshop for groups of up to 30 people. You will explore the basic principles and practicalities of citizens’ assemblies and juries with an opportunity for a question and answer session.

Organisations or networks with no access to resources  - Pay What You Can

Turnover up to £500k - £200 online or £300 in-person

Turnover up to £1.5m - £300 online or £400 in-person

Turnover above £1.5m - £400 online or £500 in-person

C) Bespoke workshops

A half-day or full-day to explore citizen-led decision-making in your specific context. We can prepare workshops which help you think about different options in your context, your organisation’s development, resourcing and/or how you develop a partnership approach. Please note that these charges factor in preparation time prior to the workshop.

Turnover up to £500,000 - £400 half day - £600 full day

Turnover up to £1,500,000 -  £500 half day - £800 full day

Turnover above £1,500,000 -  £700 half day - £900 full day

Citizens In Power day rates

When we are working on projects and partnerships we seek to apply the following day rates:

Turnover up to £500,000 - £300 per day

Turnover up to £1,500,000 - £500 per day

Turnover above £1,500,000 - £700 per day

[Any necessary travel or accommodation is additional to the above costings]

3) Organisational Structure

• As co-directors, Saad and David decide on the direction of the company, the choice of partnerships and lead the day-to-day work of the company. Saad is also Artistic Director and CEO of New Art Exchange in Hyson Green, Nottingham which means that David leads much of the day-to-day delivery as the company’s current employee. 

• The company’s governing document which can be viewed here describes an operating model drawn from co-operative approaches to working. Our intention is that as the company grows and employs more people that new members of the team will be able to share decision-making. 

• The company has three voluntary Independent Directors who act as a sounding board and who have control of remuneration for the company; meaning that they oversee rates of pay for all employees of Citizens In Power.