Cast's Artists Co-op Builds Creative Community in Doncaster

Cast is bringing Doncaster's artists and creatives together through a growing programme of opportunities, connections and support, as its Artists Co-op develops into a community where artists can share ideas, build relationships and find practical plans to develop their work and careers.

Since Sylvia Kulcewski joined Cast's team in February 2026 to lead on artist development, the organisation has been building stronger connections with the local creative community and our established associate artists. The Artist Co-op newsletter was re-launched in May, providing a regular way for artists to discover opportunities and connect with Cast, and last month the first Artist Social of the year brought the community together in person for an evening of conversation, performances, networking and collaboration.

James Blakey, Director of Cast, said: 'Artists are essential to what we do at Cast, and we're committed to making space for them to explore ideas, meet each other, find new collaborators and develop work in their own way and on their own terms. We want to create space for artists to play and follow their instincts without always knowing what the end product will be.

As artists, we get so much energy from working with other people, but the spaces between projects can be lonely. That's why building a community of artists feels so important to us. We love the idea of a co-operative. It speaks to Doncaster's social history, but also to what artists need right now: opportunities to share knowledge and resources, support one another and make things happen together.

It's been brilliant to see our Artists Co-op growing, with artists already making connections, supporting each other's work and helping to shape what Cast can offer in the future."

For artists such as Molly Eroje, who is completing her training at DARTs while taking part in regular professional opportunities through Cast's Artist Development Programme, having somewhere to develop confidence, experience and connections can make a significant difference at the start of a creative career.

'As a performer, musician and slam poet, I feel absolutely STARSTRUCK working with the Artist Development Programme at Cast", says Molly. "They are super supportive, and crucially help with marketing and promotion. I feel Cast has helped me achieve things I could only ever have dreamed of. They have supported me in creating a designated space for the young working age population centred around music, in the Cast 18-35s Music Jams. This isn't luck, this is actually being held and supported as a freelance creative.'

The Artist Co-op is designed to complement Cast's wider offer for artists and creatives. This includes regular artist surgeries offering a space to discuss projects and seek advice; opportunities to connect with other artists and industry professionals; Cast Music Jam; the associate artist programme; and opportunities to develop, share and test creative work. The Artist Social also gave artists the chance to perform through an open mic, meet fellow creatives and contribute to conversations about what a more co-operative creative future in Doncaster could look like.

The work will continue throughout the coming months, with Cast using conversations with artists and feedback from the growing community to shape future opportunities and support. The aim is not simply to provide a place for artists to present their finished work, but to help create the conditions for ideas to develop, relationships to grow and artists to take their next steps.

For artists and creatives interested in joining the Artists Co-op and finding out about upcoming opportunities, more information can be found at castindoncaster.com/take-part/for-artists.