Johnathan Branson

Long-term strategic frameworks that shape entire places, sectors or regions — setting vision, shared goals, and collaborative pathways.

 Warwick District Council's Arts and Cultural Strategy 

Year: 2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council

My Role
Author

Summary
I authored Inspiration and Opportunity for All, the Warwick District Arts & Cultural Strategy 2025–2028. Created during a period of challenge and transition, the strategy sets a clear direction for cultural development across the district, grounded in local identity, wellbeing, placemaking and sector resilience.

Key Outcomes

• Defined priorities that align cultural ambition with public benefit.

• A shared roadmap promoting collaboration, partnership and investment.

• Stronger visibility for arts and culture within wider district priorities.

Why It Mattered
The strategy provides clarity, ambition and cohesion at a time when cultural services face increasing pressure. It gives the district a solid foundation for future growth and partnership-led delivery.

Links

• Arts & Cultural Strategy (2025–2028)

 Warwick District Creative Framework 2025 - 2030 

Year: 2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council

My Role
Lead Author & Researcher

Summary
I produced the updated Warwick District Creative Framework 2025–2030, incorporating new research, sector insight and consultation. The framework identifies shared priorities and provides a structured approach to supporting the local creative economy.

Key Outcomes

• Five shared priorities: Engagement, Voice, Path-finding, Place-making, Innovation.

• A district-wide framework rooted in needs, identity and long-term ambition.

• Strengthened connections between cultural organisations, practitioners and partners.
  
  

Why It Mattered
This work gives the district a forward-facing, collaborative structure for creative sector development, investment and advocacy.

Links

• Creative Framework (2025–2030)

 Warwick District Council's Public Art Toolkit 

Year: 2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council

My Role
Author & Consultant

Summary
I authored the Public Art Toolkit to support artists, commissioners and community groups. The toolkit provides clear guidance, processes and best practice for public art commissioning, tailored to local needs and contexts.

Key Outcomes

• Clear commissioning guidance and licensing information.

• Strengthens quality and consistency across public art projects.

• Supports increased investment and community involvement.
  
  

Why It Mattered
The toolkit equips local partners with the clarity and confidence needed to deliver ambitious, grounded and meaningful public art.

Links

• Public Art Toolkit

 Warwick District Creative Framework 2020 - 2025 

Year: 2020

Organisation
Warwick District Council

My Role
I developed a suite of public-facing advocacy materials from the Creative Framework, including a 51-page brochure and an accompanying promotional film.

Summary
Warwick District’s Creative Framework is a five-year strategy designed to accelerate creative sector growth and maximise its impact across the district through partnership and collaboration. It offers a collective vision for creative communities to unite around and sets out how they can shape and influence the future of the sector. My role focused on turning the strategy into accessible advocacy tools that could speak to stakeholders, partners and the wider public.

Key Outcomes

• A 51-page brochure translating strategic content into clear, engaging language and visuals.

• An accompanying promotional film to support advocacy, presentations and stakeholder engagement.

• Stronger visibility and understanding of the Creative Framework across the district.

Why It Mattered
By turning a strategic document into practical advocacy resources, the work helped build awareness, buy-in and momentum around the Creative Framework, making it easier for partners to engage with and act on its priorities.

Links

• Visit website

Bespoke strategy and planning for individual organisations or departments - aligning internal operations, priorities and teams for culture and impact.

 WDC Arts Section's Digital Strategy 

Year: 2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council's Arts Section

My Role
I led the extraction, analysis and synthesis of all digital-related activity within the Arts Section’s Operational Plan, and shaped this into a coherent framework for a new Digital Strategy.

Summary
I reviewed every strand of the Arts Section’s Operational Plan to identify explicit and implicit digital activity, KPIs and dependencies. This work brought together actions, team priorities and existing commitments into a structured set of themes for the 2025–28 Digital Strategy, aligning it with the Arts & Cultural Strategy and Creative Framework.

Key Outcomes

• Digital-related activity mapped across all Arts Section teams.

• A clear thematic framework to underpin the 2025–28 Digital Strategy.

• Stronger alignment between operational plans, strategic documents and digital priorities.

• An evidence base to support future planning, resourcing and decision-making.

Why It Mattered
The work turned scattered digital activity into a single, usable framework, giving the service a realistic, joined-up view of its digital ambitions and dependencies – and a stronger basis for investment and prioritisation.

 Warwick District Council Arts Section Operational Plan 

Year: 2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council

My Role
Lead Reviewer (in collaboration with the Arts Manager)

Summary
I reviewed and refreshed the Arts Section Operational Plan, updating the previous version and working with staff teams to ensure the plan accurately reflected current workload, strategic direction and activity.

Key Outcomes

• A coherent, updated service-wide operational plan.

• Strengthened clarity around roles, priorities and deliverables.

• More effective alignment between team activity and strategic goals.

Why It Mattered
The refreshed plan improves service coherence, supports better planning and strengthens the link between operational work and wider district priorities.

 Creative Learning Strategy 

Year: 2018–2019

Organisation
Warwick Arts Centre

My Role
Co-author (with Head of Creative Learning)

Summary
I co-wrote Warwick Arts Centre’s Creative Learning Strategy, ensuring learning and participation were embedded across family programming, engagement activity and wrap-around experiences for performances and exhibitions.

Key Outcomes

• Clear learning priorities aligned to audience insight and organisational goals.

• Stronger integration of learning across front-of-house, programming and engagement teams.

• Strategy informed major planning ahead of Coventry City of Culture 2021.

Why It Mattered
The strategy ensured learning wasn’t an add-on but a central part of audience experience — particularly for families and younger audiences.

Links

• Creative Learning information

Insight-led strategies focused on audience development, marketing audits, segmentation, and helping organisations reach new markets and optimise performance.

 Royal Spa Centre Marketing Audit 

Year: 2024

Organisation
Warwick District Council

My Role
Lead Consultant

Summary
I carried out a service-wide marketing audit covering the Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum and Leamington Town Hall. This included assessing capacity, skills, budgets, tools, campaigns and operational processes.

Key Outcomes

• Identified clear improvement areas and realistic next steps.

• Strengthened alignment between marketing activity and organisational priorities.

• Highlighted opportunities for future growth despite capacity challenges.
  
  

Why It Mattered
The audit provides practical guidance for improving marketing performance and strengthening audience development across multiple venues.

 Arts Section Marketing and Audience Development Strategy 

Year: 2019

Organisation
Warwick District Council – Royal Spa Centre & Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum

My Role
I authored a new marketing and audience development strategy, drawing together insight from multiple data sources and reports.

Summary
I wrote a three-year marketing and audience development strategy for the Royal Spa Centre and Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum. The strategy consolidated existing knowledge, research and audience data into a clear, actionable plan to guide future marketing, audience development and communications across both venues.

Key Outcomes

• A single, coherent strategy adopted by the Programming and Marketing Team in 2020.

• Clear priorities and approaches for audience development across both venues.

• Stronger alignment between marketing activity, audience insight and organisational goals.

Why It Mattered
The strategy provided a focused, evidence-based framework for growing and diversifying audiences, enabling teams to make better-informed decisions and work towards shared goals.

Links

• Visit website

 Snapshots 

Year: 2018

Organisation
Warwick Arts Centre

My Role
Lead researcher and developer

Summary
I created a series of “Snapshots”, qualitative studies of Coventry neighbourhoods showing low arts engagement (“cold spots”). I combined on-the-ground visits and resident conversations with existing data sets to produce nuanced insight into perceptions, barriers and opportunities.

Key Outcomes

• Rich qualitative intelligence to accompany quantitative audience data.

• Clearer understanding of awareness gaps and engagement barriers.

• Insights used to shape marketing and programming for Coventry City of Culture 2021.

Why It Mattered
Snapshots brought human context to big datasets, helping the Arts Centre understand real attitudes and design more relevant engagement approaches.

 Audience Segmentation Model 

Year: 2015

Organisation
Warwick Arts Centre

My Role
Co-developer (with Marketing Director)

Summary
I co-developed and implemented Warwick Arts Centre’s segmentation model, drawing on Audience Finder, National Statistics, local authority datasets, box office analysis and evaluation insight.

Key Outcomes

• A segmentation model that shaped programming, marketing and audience strategy.

• Audience growth for three consecutive seasons: 119% (Spring 2019), 106% (Autumn 2018), 103% (Summer 2018)

• Increased frequency among existing bookers and growth in target hot-spot areas.

Why It Mattered
The model provided a clear, evidence-driven foundation for targeted decision-making — directly contributing to audience growth.

Links

• Warwick Arts Centre

 Consultation and Community Engagement Strategy 

Year: 2013

Organisation
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (via Earthen Lamp)

My Role
Audience consultation lead and strategy author

Summary
I led audience consultation and authored the community engagement strategy for the redevelopment of Shakespeare’s New Place. This included consultation sessions, analysing insight and shaping recommendations.

Key Outcomes

• In-depth consultation with residents and community groups.

• A community engagement strategy integrated into the site redevelopment.

• Insight that shaped interpretation, engagement and programming.

Why It Mattered
The work ensured the redevelopment of New Place reflected community perspectives and widened participation.

Links

• New Place

 Audience Development Strategy 

Year: 2013

Organisation
Appetite / Arts Council England CPP (via Earthen Lamp)

My Role
Audience development strategy author

Summary
I wrote the audience development strategy and action plan for Appetite, a major CPP programme designed to increase arts engagement in Stoke-on-Trent.

Key Outcomes

• Clear approaches to reach non-attenders and under-represented groups.

• Action plan translated audience aims from business plan into real activity.

• Insight that shaped three years of CPP delivery.

Why It Mattered
The strategy helped Appetite widen access, grow participation and take arts activity into places with historically low engagement.

Link

• Appetite website

  Marketing Campaign 

Year: 2015

Organisation
Newhampton Arts Centre + 12 resident organisations

My Role
Marketing audit, consultation and collaborative campaign development

Summary
I supported Newhampton Arts Centre and its resident organisations to design a collaborative marketing campaign aimed at diversifying audiences.

Key Outcomes

• Marketing audit covering 13 organisations.

• One-to-one sessions and group workshops to shape the campaign.

• A shared strategy supporting joint messaging and audience reach.
  
  

Why It Mattered
The work brought multiple organisations together under one audience plan, strengthening visibility, coordination and impact.

Links

• Newhampton Arts Centre

 Audiences Black Country 

Year: 2011–2012

Organisation
Audiences Black Country

My Role
Project manager and data competency lead

Summary
The programme supported 11 cultural organisations to become more data-driven, focusing on CRM, data competency and insight-led decision-making.

Key Outcomes

• Data competency audit across 11 organisations.

• 20 one-to-one support sessions.

• 8 group workshops and analysis of data from 9 partners.

• Bespoke support plans for theatres, festivals and heritage sites.

Why It Mattered
The project significantly strengthened data capability and audience insight across the Black Country’s cultural organisations.

 Birmingham Means Everyone 

Year: 2008

Organisation
Earthen Lamp / Birmingham community partners

My Role
Consultation lead and toolkit developer

Summary
I delivered creative consultation sessions with community groups including the Horn of Africa Women’s Group, Vietnamese Community Group and St Matthew’s Church. The findings informed a toolkit for arts organisations seeking to broaden engagement with BME families.

Key Outcomes

• Community consultation with diverse groups.

• A toolkit for arts organisations addressing inclusion and representation.

• Insight that shaped approaches to audience diversification.

Why It Mattered
The work challenged assumptions and supported more culturally responsive audience strategies

Initiatives that build, convene or lead networks, steering groups and partnerships across sectors - connecting organisations to drive strategic outcomes.

 Steering Groups and Stakeholder Groups 

Year: Various / ongoing

Organisation
West Midlands Combined Authority, Warwick Town Council, Warwick District Council, CWLEP, uxplore and others

My Role
Member / representative / acting Chair (for Warwick District Creative Compact)

Summary
I contribute to a range of steering and stakeholder groups, including the West Midlands Combined Authority Cultural Officers Group, The Compact Plus Network and Warwick Town Council’s Arts and Culture Group. I have previously sat on the CWLEP Digital and Creative Business Group, the uxplore Steering Group, Warwick District Council’s Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Project Board, and acted as Chair for the Warwick District Creative Compact.

Key Outcomes

• Cultural sector perspectives represented in regional and local decision-making.

• Stronger connections between local authority priorities, creative industries and place-based agendas.

• Opportunities identified for collaboration, funding and shared programmes.

• Why It Mattered
  These roles have allowed me to connect local cultural activity with regional strategies, build relationships across sectors, and advocate for the value of culture within wider economic and social conversations.

Links

• West Midlands Combined Authority Cultural Officers Group

• Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Digital and Creative Business Group

• uxplore Steering Group,  

• Warwick District Council's Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Project Board, 

• Warwick District Creative Compact.

 Warwick District Creative Compact 

Year: 2020–2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council / Warwick District Creative Compact

My Role
Founding member, recruiter of members, action plan development, Chair (acting), coordination of workstreams

Summary
The Warwick District Creative Compact provides strategic and visible leadership for the cultural and creative industries in the district and helps deliver the vision of the Creative Framework. Made up of local leaders from across sectors, the Compact focuses on five themes – Engagement, Voice, Pathfinding, Place-making and Innovation – and works to connect projects, spaces, strategies and investment.

Key Outcomes

• A cross-sector group of 19 local leaders established and convened.

• Action plan developed to deliver the Creative Framework’s priorities.

• New partnerships, connections and opportunities identified across the district.

• Stronger alignment between cultural activity and wider social, economic and place-based goals.

Why It Mattered
The Compact gives the district a visible, collaborative mechanism for driving the Creative Framework forward – turning strategic intent into shared action, and ensuring creative industries are part of wider conversations about place and growth.

Links

• Visit Warwick District Creative Compact website

 Warwickshire and Coventry Cultural Alliance 

Year: 2012–2013

Organisation
Warwickshire & Coventry Cultural Alliance

My Role
Network manager and project coordinator

Summary
I managed a network of 31 arts and cultural organisations, coordinating shared audience development projects, meetings and collaborative activity.

Key Outcomes

• Delivery of four cross-organisation audience development projects.

• Creative apprenticeship programme delivered at Alliance level.

• Successful fundraising to sustain network activity.

• Regular sector-wide meetings and events.

Why It Mattered
The Alliance strengthened collaboration across the region and provided shared tools, resources and capacity for audience development.

I create and manage targeted grants that support organisations, artists and community groups to grow their work, strengthen capacity and deliver new cultural activity across the district.

 The Lights of Leamington 

Year: 2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council, BID Leamington (supported and funded by WDC Arts Grants / UKSPF)

My Role
Funder, commissioner and strategic advisor

Summary
I awarded BID Leamington and partners significant UKSPF funding to revive The Lights of Leamington, a historic cultural festival. With over £140k invested, the consortium delivered 12 major events, improved infrastructure in Jephson Gardens and procured reusable equipment for future festivals.

Key Outcomes

• 12 high-profile events delivered, attracting 46,000+ attendees of all ages.

• Reusable lighting and technical equipment procured for future programming.

• Boosted local pride, strengthened evening-economy activity and enhanced placemaking

• Power infrastructure upgraded across Jephson Gardens.
  
  

• Equipment purchased to support future festivals.

Why It Mattered
The project revitalised a treasured local tradition and positioned Leamington as a major cultural destination, demonstrating inclusive placemaking at scale.

Links
The Lights of Leamington

 Cultural Marketing & Promotion 

Year: 2023–2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council

My Role
I designed and coordinated the programme, commissioning research, producing a marketing toolkit, managing workshops and overseeing Town Council grants.

Summary
This project strengthened cultural marketing across the district through shared resources, professional development, and targeted investment that improved visibility for creatives, venues and cultural organisations.

Key Outcomes

• Sector-wide marketing research report produced.

• Arts and Cultural Marketing Toolkit launched.

• Six workshops delivered to 58 local sector workers.

• £18k of capital grants awarded to three Town Councils.

Why It Mattered
The programme increased confidence and capacity across the cultural sector, building a more connected, visible and skilled creative community.

Links
Marketing Toolkit

 Street Art Festival 

Year: 2024–2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council / Mercia Murals / Arty Folks

My Role
I managed two grants: one supporting a new street art website and another enabling extensive community workshops and a co-created artwork in Lillington.

Summary
This project combined community engagement with public art creation, delivering workshops, co-produced artwork and a new digital platform celebrating street art across the district.

Key Outcomes

• 28 workshops delivered with 150+ residents.

• 20 community groups co-created a new artwork.

• New district-wide street art website launched.

• Public spaces animated through creative activity.

Why It Mattered
The project strengthened community pride and improved visibility for local street art, supporting placemaking and cultural engagement across multiple neighbourhoods.

Links
Mercia Murals website

 Leamington Makers’ Hub 

Year: 2023–2024

Organisation
Warwick District Council / Leamington LAMP

My Role
I designed and administered the grant, guided project development, and supported the creation of a sustainable operating model in collaboration with LAMP and Lighthaus CIC.

Summary
This project explored the feasibility of a long-term makers’ hub for Leamington, producing recommendations, comparable research and capital investment to support future creative activity.

Key Outcomes

• Sustainable operating model proposed.

• Comparable case studies analysed.

• Kiln and digital equipment purchased for community use.

• Stronger foundations for future creative infrastructure.

Why It Mattered
The work supports a vision for a community-led, creative and entrepreneurial space - helping to grow local talent and strengthen the district’s creative economy.

 Interactive Futures - Infrastructure Upgrade 

Year: 2023–2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council

My Role
I led the Arts Section’s capital investment, commissioning new equipment and coordinating venue upgrades in collaboration with the Projects Team.

Summary
This project upgraded key event infrastructure at the Royal Spa Centre—including a new screen, microphones, lockable storage and digital kiosks—improving the experience for Interactive Futures and other events.

Key Outcomes

• New cinema screen installed in the studio.

• Digital kiosks introduced for wayfinding and promotion.

• Lockable storage added for event equipment.

• New in-ear microphones purchased for speakers.
  
  

Why It Mattered
These upgrades improved event quality, strengthened the venue’s future offer and demonstrated WDC’s commitment to maintaining a high-standard cultural asset.

Links
Interactive Futures website

 Art in the Park Festival - Capital Grant 

Year: 2024–2025

Organisation
Warwick District Council / Art in the Park

My Role
I coordinated the capital grant, aligned it with strategic priorities, and worked with officers to allocate £8,000 of UKSPF funding.

Summary
This investment enabled Art in the Park to purchase essential infrastructure (gazebos, flags, bunting and digital donation tools) educing long-term hire costs and expanding the festival’s community programming capacity.

Key Outcomes

• Infrastructure purchased to support long-term festival delivery.

• Expanded community activity through new gazebo spaces.

• Reduced future hire costs, allowing more budget for programming.

• Strengthened partnership between WDC and the festival team.

Why It Mattered
The grant provided long-lasting, practical support for one of the district’s flagship festivals, increasing its resilience and enabling more community-led activity in future years.

Links
Art in the Park website