Every story shared is a bridge built. Every gathering is an act of care.
Every project begins with a question. Every gathering is part of an answer.
Champion Inclusivity CIC was founded in Coventry by Dr. Nor Aziz, participatory artist, community producer, and researcher.
The organisation grew from nearly a decade of practice that began in 2016, when Nor organised a small picnic in a local park to bring fractured neighbours together. What followed was not a series of events. It was an evolving artistic enquiry, each project asking a different question about what makes belonging possible.
Nor's practice is rooted in one central idea: belonging does not happen by accident. It emerges when someone takes the time to design the right conditions, the right space, the right invitation, the right creative experience.
Champion Inclusivity is the vehicle through which those conditions are designed, tested, and sustained. Today the organisation is a trusted partner for councils, cultural institutions, and community groups across Coventry and the West Midlands.
At Champion Inclusivity, we believe inclusion is not a policy, it's a practice, and a practice is something you develop over time.
Our work is grounded in
three guiding principles:
Care Before
Action
We listen before we design, because the community always knows more than we do.
Participatory Culture as Connection
Food, creativity, and shared heritage are the medium creating the conditions for people to meet.
Collective as
Strength
Shared experiences generate co-authored knowledge, creating lasting ownership and community legacy.
Our Methodology - From Participation to Stewardship
Over a decade of participatory practice, Nor has developed a methodology that creates the conditions for communities to move from disconnection to stewardship, guided by the belief that people care for the places where they truly belong. It unfolds through six interconnected phases.
Our methodology has six interconnected phases.
1
Invite
We create welcoming opportunities that make it easy for everyone to get involved. By removing barriers to participation, we help people feel included from the very first interaction.
2
Listen
Every project begins by listening to the people who know the community best. Their stories, ideas and experiences shape everything we create together.
3
Connect
We bring people together through shared experiences that strengthen relationships and build a deeper connection to place, culture and one another.
4
Create Together
Communities work together to create something meaningful, from artworks and gardens to events and exhibitions. The process builds confidence, pride and a shared sense of ownership.
5
Grow Ownership
As confidence grows, residents begin leading activities, volunteering and forming new partnerships. Communities become empowered to shape their own future.
6
Leave a Legacy
Every project is designed to create lasting impact. We leave behind stronger relationships, local leadership and the confidence for communities to continue thriving.
Dr. Nor Aziz:
Founder & Creative Director, Champion Inclusivity CIC
Nor is a participatory artist, researcher and community producer based in Coventry. Over the past decade, she has developed an artistic practice centred on one question: 'what creates the conditions in which belonging emerges?'
This enquiry has shaped a body of work spanning community celebrations, gardens, street processions, heritage installations and immersive participatory experiences, each refining the same evolving methodology.
With a PhD from the University of Warwick and deep roots in Coventry's communities, her practice combines artistic research, participatory practice and long-term relationship-building across cultures, generations and faiths.
“True inclusion begins with care, and care begins with listening.”
Dr. Nor Aziz
20+ funded projects delivered across Coventry & WMCA
Board Director, Coventry Culture Trust
Regional Fellow, Warwick Institute of Engagement
Cultural Representative, Coventry Culture Compact
Our Values in Practice
These values don't sit above our work, they run through it. They show up in how we listen, what we make, and what we leave behind.
Listening
Every voice matters.
Learning
Every story teaches.
Legacy
Every connection grows.
Care
Every act of care counts.
