People United

Who we are

Our vision

It is our vision to create a more kind and caring society through the arts.

Our belief

We believe that being kind to one another is fundamental to making the world a better place. We also believe that the arts has a special and unique role in helping this to happen. From a neighbourly smile and a helping hand to ongoing ethical conduct and active altruism, kindness is demonstrated in many different ways. Whereas a lack of kindness breeds intolerance, injustice and inhumanity; kindness grows trust, friendship, and a common sense of community.

Our work

We explore, celebrate and demonstrate the values of kindness through our artistic practice. We do this by commissioning artists, working with neighbourhoods, individuals, schools and arts organisations on creative projects (which are adapted or duplicated), supporting other people’s good ideas, generating new research, creating resources, offering advice and bespoke consultancy, and curating public events. Whilst based in Canterbury and working primarily in the South East of England, we also work in partnership with organisations, communities and artists from across the UK.

Our work involves people from across society and across art forms. It takes place in a range of settings from bingo halls and beach huts, to shopping centres, hospitals and at home in front of a computer. A vital feature of our work is that it is thoroughly researched and professionally evaluated.  Our academic partner is the internationally recognised Centre for the Study of Group Processes, part of the Psychology Department at the University of Kent led by Professor Dominic Abrams.

It is characterised by being:

Participatory and Creative: Our work is imaginative, accessible and high quality. We use a whole range of art forms (from music, theatre and photography to storytelling, visual and digital arts) to engage and inspire people.

Well-researched and Evaluated: We use evidence drawn from theoretical and experimental research studies on positive motivation, creativity and behaviour to inform our work. It is important that our work builds on, and adds to, the academic research in this field.  We have a thoughtful approach, we try to take our time, creating space and incorporating reflection into all our projects.

A Catalyst: We develop projects that have a multiplier effect and have a real legacy. Our projects are run on a local level but are designed to be replicated and shared nationally and internationally.