Developing models to support co-design for community

Workhouse Union are a creative organisation based in Callan, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland with a history of developing really transformative projects that bring arts practice to community spaces.

Having established quite a unique place in the world, developed important ways of working, and carefully built a reputation for integrity and quality, their practice had expanded into new areas beyond arts practice, and so they needed to re-articulate and formalise the model to make it both more sustainable, and to ensure it can expand into new areas and opportunities.

The wove team worked closely with the team and board at Workhouse Union. We designed a programme of activity to undertake strategic co-design. We gathered perspectives from their stakeholder communities and conducted workshops with the team, helping them see things more clearly and explore opportunities and their vision for the organisation.

Workhouse Union had spent over 10 years building deep understanding of the discipline of co-design from some of the world leaders, and applying the principles to a wide range of projects including long-term, ongoing development work in their home of Callan. This unique expertise, approach, and experience – that puts care and collaboration at the heart of community development was central to their strategic vision.

Using the strategic co-design process, we helped Workhouse Union clarify their place in the world as an eco-system of co-design, with a range of offerings and services, from short term workshops and strategic consultancy, to ongoing training, projects and programmes of activity.

The work helped to align the objectives of the team and establish more sustainable ways of working, establishing structures that supported the growth of the team and the development of new partnerships and projects.