Sick! Productions

Who we are

SICK! is a Manchester-based, internationally recognised charity working on the intersection of art, health and equity. Founded in 2013, we are the only Arts Council England National Portfolio organisations, providing key infrastructure for North Manchester. We commission and present bold, socially engaged art that connects local artists and communities with national and international stages, shaped by our ethical commissioning framework and lived-experienced-led programming. 

In 2021, we made a long-term commitment to the North Manchester communities of Moston, Harpurhey and Charlestown, areas of immense creativity and resilience facing some of the highest levels of deprivation in the UK. Parts of these wards rank among the 285 (top 1%) most deprived out of 33,755 nationally (IMD 2025). We believe art has the power to transform lives. 

From this base, SICK! has become a lifeline: delivering award-winning creative health programmes (SMASH), developing new community leaders (Ambassadors/NOW Fellows), and transforming perceptions of place (Festival). We co-create bold artistic projects by, with and for people whose voices are often excluded, connecting local lived experience with national and global conversations. 

Our culture and values

Our Vision is simple yet transformative: Lives Reimagined Through Art. We believe art has the power to reshape perspectives, challenge inequalities, and open new possibilities for how we live together. 

Our Mission is to use art and creativity to connect people, communities, and artists, making everyone creators of fairer, healthier futures. This is not just about presenting work, but about co-creating experiences that dismantle barriers, amplify lived experience, and build a culture of care, equity, and imagination. 

Our Values guide everything we do: 

• Meaningful: Prioritising depth, quality, and lasting impact. 
• Inclusive: removing barriers and enabling participation for all. 
• Joyful: celebrating creativity and connection. 
• Courageous: facing tough issues with honesty and optimism. 

Our ethical framework translates these values into practice. It ensures that every project we deliver, whether in North Manchester or internationally, is anchored in care, integrity and accountability. 

Together, our mission, vision, values, and Ethical Framework form the creative and ethical foundations, ensuring that the futures we imagine with our communities are built responsibly, inclusively, and with transformative potential. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

ETHICAL FRAMEWORKA UK ROOTED, INTERNATIONAL ARTIST RESEARCH & COLLABORATION PROGRAMMELIVES REIMAGINED THROUGH ART

We use art and creativity to connect people, communities and artists, making everyone creators offairer, healthier futures.Meaningful | Inclusive | Joyful | Courageous for Creative and Community Practice.

PURPOSE

To ensure that SICK's local and international work is grounded in care, mutuality, equity and integrity, and that the voices weelevate and the stories we tell are handled responsibly, inclusively and with transformative potential.

Collaborative by Default: We build with, not for. We co-create with communities, artists, and partners as equal contributors, ensuring shared ownership of ideas, processes, and outcomes.

Transparent IntentionsL We communicate clearly about who an opportunity is for, why it exists,and how it aligns with SICK!’s strategic direction. We resist tokenismand acknowledge resource limitations without compromising on honesty.

Equity Over Equality: We recognise that different individuals and communities have different needs. Our work reflects a commitment to removing barriers,redistributing power, and offering differentiated forms of support basedon context.

Solidarity, Not Charity: Our work grows from solidarity with marginalised people andmovements, not from charitable positioning. We align withcommunities’ self-identified priorities rather than imposing our own.

Nuanced Language & Representation: We avoid reductive or dehumanising narratives, especially inrepresenting lived experiences of illness, poverty, disability, race, genderor trauma. We adopt inclusive, precise language that honourscomplexity without over-intellectualising.

Participatory Ethics: We embed ethical reflection in our everyday decision-making. This includes questioning our assumptions, adapting to feedback, andincluding ethical scrutiny in all co-commissioning and curatorial processes.