Partners and Collaborations

Bumble Creatives has grown through collaboration. We work alongside community organisations, funders, local authorities, health and wellbeing services, artists and creative organisations across Bicester and Oxfordshire.

These relationships help us reach people who may benefit from creative wellbeing, develop new opportunities, share skills and resources, and build stronger connections across our community.

They are also helping shape the longer-term B Hive vision: not a space where Bumble does everything, but a shared community hub where organisations, practitioners and local people can connect, collaborate and contribute.

About Bicester Hive

A2 Dominion - Elmsbrook

Our partnership with A2Dominion has enabled us to deliver accessible creative activities for adults, children and families at Elmsbrook. The programme has helped us explore how regular creative activity can support wellbeing, connection and belonging within a neighbourhood.

Bicester Community Support Service BCSS

We work regularly with Bicester Community Support Service, providing inclusive creative wellbeing sessions for adults with physical and learning disabilities, additional needs and mental health challenges. This has developed into an important strand of our adult wellbeing work and is currently supported through Community Capacity funding.Find out more about them here: BCSS

Bicester Library

Bicester Library has become an important community partner and welcoming home for a number of our activities and events, including the Creative Connections celebration and young people's creative provision. Accessible community venues like the library demonstrate the value of bringing creativity into places people already know and trust.

Bicester Village

Bicester Village has supported Bumble Creatives and Creative Minds through the Unlock Futures Fund and has been part of the developing B Hive journey.

We are particularly grateful for the continued support and mentoring of Miranda Markham, who has helped us make connections, explore opportunities and navigate the development of our wider community ambitions.. Bicester Village

Big Orange M

Artist and friend Mani – Big Orange M – brings energy, imagination and enthusiasm to collaborative community projects. Working with local artists is an important part of our approach, bringing different skills, ideas and creative experiences into the community. Check out some of his other great projects here: https://www.thebigorangem.com/

Cherwell District Council

Cherwell District Council has supported and commissioned a number of Bumble Creatives projects, including Creative Connections, Market Makes Us, Bicester Festival development and previous community arts activity. We also contribute to wider conversations around Bicester's cultural and community infrastructure, including town-centre development and the future of Bicester Festival.

Flourish Oxford Ltd

Flourish Oxford is Nicolette's separate therapeutic counselling, training and consultancy practice. Where appropriate, specialist therapeutic knowledge and experience can contribute to collaborative wellbeing initiatives while Flourish and Bumble Creatives remain separate organisations. Flourish Oxford Ltd

Oxford Community Foundation OCF

Oxfordshire Community Foundation's Community Capacity Fund has supported the development of Bumble Creatives' adult creative wellbeing programme and the organisational capacity, partnerships and infrastructure behind the B Hive. The investment has enabled regular adult provision through BCSS, supported Creative Connections alongside other funding, and helped us continue developing the longer-term B Hive model.

Oxfordshire County Council

We have been working with Oxfordshire County Council as part of the development of the B Hive, exploring opportunities for suitable community space in Bicester. This has included discussions around the potential use of space at The Courtyard and ongoing conversations about how a creative wellbeing hub could complement existing community provision.

While a permanent location has not yet been secured, this engagement has helped us develop and refine the B Hive model and better understand the opportunities and practical considerations involved in creating a sustainable community space.

Oxford Health Charity / Bicester Community Hospital

Our work at Bicester Community Hospital included a six-week intergenerational creative wellbeing programme bringing young people and older patients together through creativity, conversation and connection. The response to this work has helped inform our ambition to develop further creative wellbeing opportunities for older adults and people who may find it difficult to access community provision.

The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury

The Mill Arts Centre is an important creative partner and supporter of the wider B Hive vision. We have worked together on community creative activity and opportunities for young people, and continue to explore how Bicester could benefit from stronger creative infrastructure and greater collaboration between local artists and organisations.