Get It Done

Get It Done is a community arts organisation based in Manchester and London. We have a track record of enabling young people and communities to thrive.

Since 2017, we have been working directly with communities to spark lasting social change and training young people to become creative leaders. Get It Done works directly with communities to facilitate creative projects, workshops and events to create measurable social change, and upskills young people with the tools to lead impactful projects themselves and professionalise their creative practice

s. Born in 2017 out of a frustration at a lack of creative opportunities in Manchester, and how young people were being left out of the important conversations being had around the city, Get It Done was formed on an ethos of collaboration, innovation and participation, with a mission to make grassroots tools for creative arts accessible to everyone, to start their own thing, to get it done. Since 2017 we have worked with a vast range of partners to deliver impactful creative social projects; including producing a two year creative campaign platforming the experiences of people using foodbanks with Manchester Central Foodbank, running critical thinking programmes for young people with diverse experiences at Manchester Art Gallery and co-ordinating arts festivals filled with performances, live art, workshops and talks. We are constantly on the look out for new creatives and organisations to collaborate with - particularly now in London. If you are interested in discussing further a project or our experiences, do not hesitate to get in contact through DM or [email protected].

28/04/2026

After making our inflatable worm at , we asked what can we take inspiration from here?

We looked at the SHAPE of our worm 🪱🌀🔸🟥 and made swirly, spirally shadow puppets that turned into snakes and axolotyls and more.

We looked at the MATERIAL ♻️🧱 of our worm and decided on experimenting with transparent coloured plastic.

And then we looked at the COLOUR 🌈 of our worm and made abstract viewfinders, holding the up to the window to change the colour of our worlds or placing them on the overhead projector to make more fun shadow play.

This is we call in the biz a material-led enquiry… aka let’s follow the thread and see what comes up! We love working in a open and flexible way that places children’s creativity and ideas central to the outcome. Let’s play more!

Thank you and for having us! 🌀

01/04/2026

We are pleased to announce the selected emerging artists for We Gather Here Because We Must! 🌿✨

We Gather Here Because We Must is an international exchange pairing four emerging artists from Türkiye and the UK. Together we will imagine and build small-scale, playful and low-cost creative actions that make the climate crisis visible and bring people together in everyday urban spaces.

And finally working with Öykü is Maisie Pritchard . Maisie is an artist and creative facilitator living in Manchester (UK) with a studio at Paradise Works in Salford, and Yellowhammer in Stockport. She is interested in how artistic and design processes can crossover to generate functional and interactive artworks. Maisie invites people to interact, co-create and engage through shared acts of making. People’s participation often activates the work within both gallery and community contexts, and sometimes through workshops that involve teaching, sharing and exchanging creative skills.

This programme is supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture 2026 programme.

26/02/2026

How do you design a PLAY FULL city? Part 1

Our PLAY FULL project with was co-developed alongside Year 5 pupils, bringing children’s voices, research and big ideas into conversations about how neighbourhoods could better support play.

It developed in many exciting ways (from and local councillors pledging increased local funding, to embedding the PLAY FULL model into their 2026 strategy). But one of the most visible outcomes came through our collaboration with .

Architecture studio Editional are developing play-based placemaking interventions in Longsight. As part of PLAY FULL, we invited them to work with our Creative Crews to imagine what these could look like.

Using chalk our young people drew different ideas for ‘floorals’ (floor murals!), games built into benches, obstacle trails and decorations to bring moments of play into the streets.

We’re very glad to say that some of these ideas have made it into the final designs and will be brought to life later this year!

23/02/2026

Unbelievably behind on sharing our PLAY FULL project with …

Last time we shared we were making foodie faces. PLAY FULL took us on a serious journey! From co-designing playful fortune teller research games, to presenting ideas to decision-makers through sandwich houses, to running a market stall full of creativity and play.

But the children wanted their ideas to be seen and heard by more. We needed to stage a protest… Leading mass participation workshops in each school, over 1,400 children made parade artworks that shared their reflections on how play could grow within themselves, their homes and their schools.

In July, our three primary schools marched through Longsight with artworks, drums, banners and megaphones, led by our Year 5 Creative Crews.

Previously, local residents had raised concerns about safety in the park, so the parade became a way to reclaim the space – turning it into somewhere children and families could be together safely and celebrate the start of the summer holidays.

Genuinely hundreds of families joined in a relaxed day of play, exploring the park, building a creative cardboard city and even trying circus skills

BUT THERE’S MORE!

20/02/2026

We are pleased to announce the selected emerging artists for We Gather Here Because We Must! 🌿✨

We Gather Here Because We Must is an international exchange pairing four emerging artists from Türkiye and the UK. Together we will imagine and build small-scale, playful and low-cost creative actions that make the climate crisis visible and bring people together in everyday urban spaces.

Our first artist is Hathaikan Kongaunruan , a socially engaged artist, facilitator and producer based in Manchester (UK), whose work challenges how we assign value to materials and objects.Using DIY methods and found materials, Hattie’s practice resists overconsumption through transforming the discarded into playful sculptures rooted in environmental care and resourcefulness. Influenced by her upbringing as a second-generation immigrant, revisiting Thailand deepened her exploration into folklore, rituals and spiritual symbols through an eco-feminist lens.

This programme is supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture 2026 programme.

Headshot photography: Omari Taylor

13/01/2026

We’re welcoming Rongwei Nie as a project and research assistant, supporting our upcoming international exchange project We Gather Here Because We Must 🌿

Rongwei is currently an MA student in Creative and Cultural Industries at , and has joined Get It Done for a four-month internship.

Rongwei will be supporting the delivery of the international residency, supporting our Greater Manchester based artists and assisting with project coordination and climate, public space and artistic research. She will be sharing our learnings from the project online, and contributing to our final zine publication in spring.

“Learning from and contributing to a community arts organisation has always been my dream, because I want to share my knowledge and learn more from this exciting field. Art is one of the most meaningful bridges for communication, transcending boundaries and fostering understanding, so I’m incredibly excited for this international project!”

We Gather Here Because We Must is an international artist exchange and residency between Get It Done (Manchester) and (Ankara), and supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture Programme. The programme will pair four emerging artists from Türkiye and the UK to explore how simple, playful and low-cost creative interventions can activate public space for climate awareness, resilience and connection.

08/01/2026

It’s a book dump! 📚 It’s that time of year again to share what’s on the reading list for 2026.

The world stinks at the moment! So it’s time to get read and educated if we have any hope in finding a way through it all.

This year we’re learning about: sensing the world to tackle climate change, q***r hedonism, sanctuary and storytelling, collective imagination, and building sustainable communities. Staying

And how many did we read from last years list? Undisclosed! Mind ya business! Not hitting your goals is also ok 😌

Any recommendations?? What’s on your list for the year?

05/01/2026

After we’d done our PLAY FULL research - with chatterbox games and days in the market - we wanted to report back on our findings! So we decided to invite some powerful people across Manchester to have a picnic with us…

But sitting down and eating wouldn’t have been very playful of us. We got some of Manchester’s most important councillors, policymakers and charity leaders playing with their food!

We had a foodie face competition, we built sandwich houses from rolling dice, and we made fruity chocolate kebabs from guessing games 🎲🍅🥯🥝

We then sat round the picnic rug and the children presented their research findings. Our powerful people could then respond and pledge how they are going to bring more play into their work.

Presenting research and discussions on policy change are… boring! This whole project asked how we could flip things to become joyful, playful and youth-led. This turned out to be a hugely powerful and memorable day for both adults and children.

Next stop on the PLAY FULL journey? Making art for the parade!

02/01/2026

🌿🌿 DEADLINE EXTENDED: Wednesday 7th January at 23:59 (GMT) 🇹🇷🇬🇧

We’re seeking two emerging artists (18-30) based in Greater Manchester and two based in Ankara for an international exchange programme, hosted by Get It Done .getitdone (Manchester) and Aks (Ankara), supported by the British Council.

Artists will work in international pairs to explore how creative interventions can activate public spaces and bring people together.

The programme includes an online exchange and in-person residency in Ankara. Artists will receive £250, plus flights, accommodation + some meals covered.

Apply via the link in our bio.

Deadline: 23:59 (GMT), Wednesday 7th January 2026

This programme is supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture 2026 programme.

16/12/2025

We’re going on a group trip! Wanna come?  
Join us for a free visit to Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES, generously invited through Southbank Centre’s Community Connect programme.

🗓 Saturday 3 January 2026 ⏰ 11am 📍 Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre

We’ve got 8 FREE places available for Southwark residents only, as part of a programme designed to widen access to arts experiences locally.

Sign up via the link in our bio!  
If you can’t make it after signing up, please email [email protected] so someone else can take your place!

About
This exhibition showcases Gilbert & George’s artistic journey, highlighting new pictures created since the start of the millennium. With bold, single-word titles, each piece delves into societal norms and taboos, spanning the mundane and the illicit, with their art challenging boundaries of taste and propriety.

Content warnings
The exhibition contains images and language that some viewers may find offensive, including swear words, sexually explicit and violent language.

https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/gilbert-george-21st-century-pictures/

Photo credit: Installation view of Gilbert & George: 21ST CENTURY PICTURES. REST (2019). Photo: Mark Blower. Courtesy of the Hayward Gallery.

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http://www.getitdoneart.com/

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