#IWD2026: Creative Women - Karen Green

International Women’s Day (IWD) is an annual global event celebrating women and their achievements.  First initiated in 1911, IWD has since grown into a global movement encouraging us to stand up for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world, free of discrimination and stereotypes.

This year's campaign theme is GiveToGain, which explores how giving our support can help advance gender equality as well as reinforce a sense of connection and purpose.

Creative Lancashire has a long history of supporting International Women’s Day, with a special campaign and Conversations in Creativity event every year. As part of our #IWD2026 "Creative Women" Series, we posed three questions relating to this year's theme to our four featured women. 

Meet Karen Green, an Artist and the Operations & Programme Manager of Creative Spaces Burnley.

Karen is one of the special guests participating in our Conversations in Creativity panel discussion on Friday 6th March 2026 at The Harris Museum in Preston.

Let's find out more about Karen and her thoughts on giving to gain, resiliency, and supporting others.

About Karen Green

Karen Green is the Programme and Operations Director at Creative Spaces Burnley. 

With two buildings in Burnley town centre, Creative Spaces Burnley, support the creation and exhibition of high quality contemporary art, offering studio, project, meeting and gallery spaces at the Salon and OneTwoThree. Karen leads on the exhibitions and public programme and oversees the running of both buildings.

Karen is an artist with a socially engaged practice whose career started in grass roots community arts in Preston, over 25 years ago. Karen has previously worked at Tate Liverpool, developing programmes for Late at Tate and Tate Exchange and FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) creating digital and film projects that engage audiences with the gallery and cinemas.

[Click on the right arrow to scroll the gallery below]

Giving to Gain in Real Life

The IWD 2026 theme is Give to Gain. What does this idea of reciprocity and generosity mean in your own work or leadership, and how have you seen it create ripple effects beyond you?

I am an artist, with a socially engaged practice which means I collaborate with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds on projects, exhibitions and events. 

Reciprocity in my art practice is the co-production, from the start, the development, interest, spark or idea, to the delivery, sharing skills, experiences, and creativity, that leads to an output, a piece of work, an exhibition, or an event. 

During the whole process there is a mutual exchange and growth, and a sharing of skills and experience. 

In my work in museums and galleries, roles have included Curator, Manager, Producer and Director. Here, I have an open and collaborative practice, sharing information, programme, policies, etc. freely, rooted in a framework that encourages learning across individuals, teams and organisations. I have found this to be reciprocal at times, especially within other learning teams in galleries.

I’m still in contact with many people I have worked with during my career and I attend events and network often, getting to see the ripple effects - especially in young people - who were part of a project or longer-term programme, who are now artists, managers and curators. 

On Challenges, Resilience & Support

Looking back, what were some of the key challenges or moments of resistance you faced in your career journey and what types of support, encouragement, or belief helped you continue despite them?

It was a challenge at the start of my career. Leaving university with no experience, I volunteered for a couple of years, and gained facilitation and project management skills, which helped me to identify my interests and strengths and weaknesses. 

Returning to work after maternity leave was a challenge, my commitment and interest had changed and this didn’t align to the organisation I was working at. 

There’s an expectation to work long hours and this didn’t fit any more, I took some time away and tried different things, keeping my practice going with a bit of art work whilst trying to find something that fitted me and my responsibilities.

Suddenly facing redundancy and finding it difficult to get another job was a challenge. With no other options, I returned to freelancing, and found that here, I received support and projects from fellow colleagues via the people and contacts I had built up through my work.

What kept me going is a resilience and a belief in myself, and when things were not working out for me, I would make a plan and work out how I could make it happen. 

Important questions (and challenges) for me were: "How can I do this myself without an organisation? How can I do it for myself rather than for someone else?"

[Click on the right arrow to scroll the gallery below]

Lifting Others As We Rise

How do you actively create space, opportunity, or visibility for others through your work, and what would you love to see more people ‘give’ to support the next generation of women and creatives?

Having a socially engaged art practice, for over 30 years, I have created space, opportunity and visibility for others. I also believe that making and creating work is powerful, but also it is important to share work. 

So, many projects have an output that ranges from an exhibition, print, billboards, a magazine feature to takeovers on social media.

I would like to see more opportunities, more spaces that experiment, and a system that is open, free, and flexible that enables people to take risks without fear of failure. 

I’d like to see more co-creation – especially across women-led organisations and more peer led support, especially for me and in my role as a new Director. 

I’d like to see more networks and more happenings where women come together, not just for IWD, but all the time to share, support and create opportunities.

Find out more about Karen's work at Creative Spaces Burnley:

Website: creativespacesburnley.co.uk

Instagram: @creativespacesburnley

Images provided by Creative Spaces, Burnley. Credits: Paul Donohoe, Gavin Parry.

International Women's Day occurs globally on 8 March to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

IWD is not country, group or organisation specific, it belongs to all groups collectively everywhere who champion equality, diversity and inclusivity.

www.internationalwomensday.com

This year’s IWD theme is #GiveToGain. 

Giving requires open hearts and minds. As individuals, giving support means calling out stereotypes, challenging discrimination, questioning bias, celebrating women's success, and more.

Sharing our knowledge and encouragement with others is also key. Giving our support to help advance gender equality reinforces a sense of connection and purpose.

This creates an important ripple effect for spreading positive impacts for everyone.