Culture Café

A meeting place for the local arts community, Culture Café brings people together.

About Culture Café

Founded in 2011 as a meeting place for the local arts community, Culture Café brings together people working in the arts who are interested in networking, sharing ideas, developing partnerships, and accessing peer support.

Culture Café networking events connect people working in the arts and provide a platform for sharing ideas, igniting projects, shaping sector-wide strategies, and building partnerships. At its heart, Culture Café is about creating a mutually supportive environment in which arts and culture can flourish.

Rooted in the Culture Café manifesto, each event is hosted by individual artists, creative practitioners, arts and cultural organisations, or collectives, and always includes local, high-quality food provision.

Who Hosts a Culture Café?

Culture Cafés have been hosted by individual artists and creative practitioners working in and around Moray, as well as by arts and cultural organisations. They can also be hosted in partnership with each other and in collaboration with heritage organisations, businesses, the third sector, and education providers.

Interested to host a culture cafe?

Through our multi-year funding from Creative Scotland, Findhorn Bay Arts can support individuals and cultural organisations to host a Culture Café. We can provide a budget for up to four Culture Cafés per year across Moray.

If you’re interested in hosting a Culture Café, please email info@findhornbayarts.com.

The Role of the Culture Café Host

Findhorn Bay Arts will work with you to help shape your event.

Every Culture Café is slightly different. There is no fixed agenda, and each event takes on its own unique style and feel.

Culture Café attendees enjoy the chance to relax, chat, and network, so allowing space for conversation and discussion of new ideas is an important part of hosting.

Hosts can create an overarching theme for their event, which might:

Focus on a particular theme
Mark the launch of a new work or production
Include an activity planned for the event

We recommend setting aside at least two hours for your Culture Café. Please consider public transport, parking, and disabled access when choosing your venue.

Food & Drink

Food is a vital component of Culture Café and contributes to the sense of wellbeing and relaxation.

The culinary offering can vary:

The venue may be known for locally sourced cuisine
Food might come from a specialist local supplier
Drinks may be provided by a local independent brewer

Meals can range from three-course menus to a one-pot supper, but should always include a vegetarian option.

Budget

As a host, you are in charge of the event budget. Costs might include:

Venue hire
Food and drink
Artists or facilitators
Promotional materials
Your own time

Where possible, Culture Café events are free to attendees. Free events ensure that the Café remains accessible to everyone. Sometimes, a small ticket fee is necessary to cover costs, and attendees should book in advance so you have an accurate idea of numbers.