Creative Community

The HeARTlands Creative Community is the social heart of what we do — where artists, photographers, writers, poets, storytellers and creatives of all kinds meet, share, learn and build real friendships through creativity.

It's free to join, open to everyone, and separate from our exhibitions — you don't need to have exhibited with us, or ever plan to, to belong here.

You can expect:

• Regular Gatherings — our core meet-up, hosted somewhere different each time.

• The WhatsApp Group — for keeping the conversation and opportunities going between Gatherings.

• Creative Workshops — offer your own, and we'll list it on our website.

• Coaching & Mentoring — offer your services, and we'll list you as a support option for other artists.

• Creative Retreats — offer one, and we'll feature it here too.

Real Life Relationships

At HeARTlands, we believe the strongest creative communities grow through real relationships — through meeting one another, sharing conversations, exchanging ideas and gradually discovering where our interests and creative lives connect.

That’s why becoming part of our Creative Community doesn’t begin with a membership form. It begins simply by showing up.

Come along to one of our regular HeARTlands Gatherings. Meet some of the artists, writers and creatives already involved and give us the opportunity to get to know you too.

There is no expectation that you need to be established, experienced or already connected to the arts community. Whether you are an established artist, an emerging creative, or simply beginning to explore your creativity, you are very welcome.

As those relationships develop, there are many ways to become more involved — joining our community WhatsApp group, hearing about opportunities and collaborations, taking part in events and projects, or sharing workshops, creative services and retreats through the HeARTlands website.

We do things this way because HeARTlands is first and foremost a community of people, not a directory of names. We want the people represented through HeARTlands to be people we genuinely know and who, in turn, feel connected to the community they are part of.

Our Ethos

HeARTlands is built around creativity, connection and belonging.

We want it to remain a warm, generous and inclusive space where artists and creatives at every stage can meet one another as equals, share knowledge and opportunities, encourage each other and create meaningful connections.

We absolutely want our artists and creatives to be seen, celebrated and supported. Part of our purpose is helping people share their work and what they have to offer.

But community works best when that sharing is reciprocal — when we come not only asking “What can this community do for me?” but also “What can I bring to this community?”

Sometimes that might mean sharing an opportunity, supporting another artist, attending an event, offering encouragement, making an introduction or simply turning up and being part of the conversation.

Those small acts of generosity and participation are what allow a genuine creative community to grow.

Please Note

Please note that being part of the Creative Community has nothing to do with our exhibitions. Exhibitions run through open calls, assessed completely separately and objectively.