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In October 2024, Counterpoints Arts held their biannual ‘Pop Culture & Social Change’ retreat at Dartington in the southwest of England. A range of participants - creatives, activists, funders, and charities - coalesced to develop cultural interventions at the nexus of climate and migrant justice.
Workshops took place, ideas were shared, all with a view to help those in the room tell better, more popular stories. The retreat provided an opportunity to learn about each others' work in narrative change around migration and the environment, a much needed 'temperature check' for an emerging field.
In the weeks since, the PoP Fund has been keen for attendees to reflect on the retreat’s impact, to develop a greater understanding of our collective work. Below is a collection of snapshots, which drawn together see a number of themes come through, notably that authentic experience bears storytelling with integrity, a shared willingness to learn from those with different specialisms, and a desire for more joy in the work we do.
Melissa Murdock, Heard
What is the purpose of a conference, retreat or summit?
To educate? To inspire? To connect?
Maybe all of them, but I often attend excitedly, feel awkward during and leave disappointed. That wasn’t the case for the Counterpoints Arts’ Pop Culture and Social Change Retreat. It set itself the huge task of bridging the climate and migrant justice movements to harness narrative power on screen, but at its core it focused on fostering meaningful connection. It was a carefully curated 48 hours of talks, walks, workshops and creativity, leaving me feeling galvanised and most importantly connected to a wider ecosystem.
In the charity sector, limited resources often mean relationship-building becomes a secondary priority, but this retreat gave us the time and space to understand our collective potential.
Rather than feeling siloed or competitive, we were reminded that we are part of an ecosystem of change, each contributing to collective impact.
During a workshop I led with Francesca Panetta, Director of the Storytelling Institute, we explored how to better understand our interconnections. We mapped out our organisations’ place in the ecosystem, visualising how we work together, or could share resources in the future. This was the start of a commitment to collaborate more effectively, work smarter, and communicate our impact with greater clarity. The retreat was a crucial moment to reflect and build a foundation for stronger, more purposeful collaboration.
Fahmida Miah, Climate Outreach
This beautifully organised and inspiring retreat deepened my understanding of how creative storytelling can drive climate and migration justice. I loved the programme's flow day to day - from setting the scene and recognising narrative power, to showcasing how creatives and those with lived experiences address these challenges with sensitivity and visual impact. The retreat struck a careful balance between conveying the urgency of these issues and handling personal stories with care and respect.
I’m inspired to use my work at Climate Outreach to highlight diverse approaches to this intersection, rather than a single perspective. I left with a renewed sense of hope, reassured by the talented, thoughtful, and passionate people in this space, and excited about the ecosystem of collaborators to tap into, all working for meaningful impact.
Lara Deffense, Counterpoints Arts
The Popchange retreat was so inspiring - a special space that cultivated the conditions for beautiful collective thinking, dreaming and imagining, as well as being a warm and joyful space to make new connections.
On a personal and professional level, it was totally my dream event, having all of my interests covered! The speakers and contributors were phenomenal - the guest list was stellar. Every single person was just the most incredible changemaker - warm, kind, passionate, hardworking and mega creative. It was an honour to be in the same room.
In terms of the programme, there was a nice balance of sessions, enabling different types of thinking and listening, as well as space for fun and creativity (the ‘Ministry of Reparations’ mockumentary - generated during one group session - must get made!!)
Ornella and Laith facilitated the days with such ease and brought with them such good vibes. A big shout out to Roann who was a total joy as host: equal parts hilarious, intelligent and a master summariser.
As Maya Angelou once said (and I'll paraphrase here) - you might forget exactly what people said, but you’ll always remember the feeling. And this retreat left a powerful one.
Jake Lee, Unbound Philanthropy
Counterpoints Arts’ Dartington retreat is a calendar highlight that never fails to inspire, invigorate and restore.
It is a rare treat that once every couple of years, I have been fortunate enough to immerse myself within a mediaeval estate in the Devon countryside, surrounded by brilliant creative minds. This year was remarkable for seeing the depth of networks and connections that have been planted over the years flourish. One example is someone who, at the last retreat, was at the beginning of their professional adventures in popular culture and social change - now they are a broadcast commissioner, working alongside and commissioning talented creators, including people they met at Dartington. As a funder, it is often tricky to decipher and explain what good social change looks like, but this is it. Watching terrific leaders advance into positions of power, and using that power to advance justice thoughtfully and creatively.
This is just one of myriad examples of how the work at Counterpoints and the Power of Pop Fund is making the world a better place. There are, of course, many unforgettable moments: fireside chats in front of 3-metre long fireplaces, laughter echoing through the great hall at comedy performed by Counterpoints’ staff, live music and film projected against 14th century plaster, and ‘walking meetings’ through ornamental gardens.
There is such a depth of talent among the carefully selected group of leaders from a vibrant spectrum of disciplines: from film, music, TV and comedy to climate and migrant justice. It is inevitable that by connecting and nurturing ideas and collaborations we will see more amazing outcomes in years to come. A huge thanks to the team that curated the event so wonderfully. I look forward to seeing the seeds planted this year grow further into the garden of ideas that has been so carefully tended by the Counterpoints Arts team over recent years.
Caroline Meaby, OKRE
I arrived not really knowing what to expect from a retreat about work - especially when all prior experiences of retreats I’ve gone on have been to specifically not think about work… So, this was a little bit different.
Three days of talks and provocations designed not just to inform and inspire but, like all good retreats, also provoke self-reflection - reflection on our roles in the field, what distinctive and complementary approaches we bring, and what that means for us in relation to each other.
Since I’ve been back, I’ve reflected on how easy it was to be alongside each other in this (other- worldly) environment. The space that opened up for conversation - because of how easy it was to ask genuine questions about what brought us together, questions that might not have come so easily in another setting. And how important it is to create spaces for that engagement, because the work we do is interrelated and needs to be done through understanding what we all bring to our coalition. Building relationships underpins all the work.
Writing this a few weeks’ post-retreat has made me think hard about the meetings I’ve had since - whether I’ve purposefully kept that spirit of curiosity alive, or whether I’ve fallen into the (unconscious) trap of concentrating on the immediate, more transactional potentials (I think I know the answer to that one if I’m honest!). So, I’m reminding myself now to keep the spirit of the retreat alive through curiosity, connection and continuous coalition building.
Alice Sachrajda, Power of Pop Fund advisor
The Dartington retreat organised by Counterpoints Arts brought together a fantastic group of cultural change-makers, creatives and funders. It's exciting to see how much the ‘pop culture for social justice’ ecosystem has evolved in recent years, with new organisations getting involved and so many enthusiastic and knowledgeable professionals coming together to share and learn with one another. The retreat reminded me of how important it is that we keep connecting, partnering and seeking out ways to work together, particularly in the space of climate-related migration, which meshes together two challenging areas, but holds much exciting potential too.
We are so much more powerful when we find opportunities to collaborate, and recognise that by working together we are truly more than the sum of our parts.
Counterpoints Arts' ‘Pop Culture & Social Change’ retreat offered attendees a place to think, to learn, and say what was on our minds to an attentive audience. At all intersections of climate and migration, participants - particularly those with personal experiences of migration - argued the centrality of popular culture to get our messages across. There was a growing awareness of others' expertise as people with ideas met those who have built infrastructure and can access resources. The cultural offerings - music, comedy, film - sated a desire for creative connection, as amidst the serious conversations we allowed ourselves moments of collective joy.
A coalition committed to climate and migrant justice knows it cannot rely on one perfectly crafted, targeted, cultural intervention - there will be no single story, song, speech or screening that changes the course of history. The struggle will be long and arduous, and a 'popular front' is needed. Since the Community Council first met at the start of this year, we wished for our networks to get to know each other better, and Dartington felt like a great step towards mapping our convergences. Whether we look back at the retreat as a mere moment in time or the beginning of collective change remains to be seen, but we can hope that our interactions there may yet create lasting legacies.
Words and Compilation by Biz, Power of Pop Community Council member.
