How We Built It: Community in the Arts

What does it really take to build a creative community? Join ArtRabbit and I Like Networking for an evening of short, sharp “show & tell” presentations from people who’ve built thriving arts and culture communities from the ground up.

ArtRabbit and I Like Networking invite you to an evening of candid, practical insight from founders who have built thriving arts and culture networks from the ground up.

This is not a panel. Each speaker will offer a concise “show and tell” presentation unpacking how their community began, why they built it, what nearly failed, and what it takes to sustain momentum.

You’ll hear from:

• Ade Sanusi, Art Meets Culture
• Meg Molloy, Working Arts Club
• Isabel Sachs, I Like Networking

With an introduction by Vivi Kallinikou, Managing Director, ArtRabbit.

The talks will be followed by an open Q&A and informal drinks, with time to connect across disciplines. We'll also host a business card bowl for those who would like to take part in a fun introduction to someone new.

Expect insight, honesty and generous knowledge-sharing in a room of people actively shaping the cultural landscape in the UK and beyond.

Who this is for
Community builders, founders, curators, producers, creative entrepreneurs and arts professionals at any stage who are building networks, platforms or collaborative ecosystems. Press and industry colleagues are warmly welcome.

Tickets
£5 for members of I Like Networking, Working Arts Club, ArtRabbit and Art Meets Culture
£10 general admission
Drinks and nibbles included

Capacity is limited, early booking recommended.

About the Hosts & Speakers

Ade Sanusi is a cultural strategist and founder of Art Meets Culture, a London-based platform dedicated to building stronger infrastructure for artists and creative communities. His work is driven by a clear belief: talent doesn’t lack ambition, it lacks access, structure, and aligned opportunity.

With a background spanning music, media, and brand partnerships, Ade has worked across projects involving global names such as Idris Elba, Complex Media, the Sidemen, and WB Games. These experiences shaped his understanding of how culture moves, and how artists can be positioned within it without losing authenticity.

Through curated events, partnerships, and artist development initiatives, Ade creates spaces where creativity and commercial opportunity coexist. His mission is simple: to bridge the gap between culture and industry, ensuring artists aren’t just celebrated, but sustainably supported.

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Isabel Sachs is a D&AD & Lovie Award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and strategist recognised as one of the top 21 most influential women by Startups Magazine and one of The Dots' 100 women transforming the Creative Industry. 

With over 20 years of experience, she has worked with brands, creatives, and organisations to drive organic engagement through strategic communications, community-building, and events.

She has delivered keynotes and workshops for Apple, The New York Times, The British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, KFC, Domestika, and more on topics including entrepreneurship, creative careers, and networking.

Isabel is the founder of I LIKE NETWORKING, an award-winning platform supporting 45k+ women and non-binary individuals in the creative industries, mentoring over 1,000 people since 2020, with features in the Evening Standard, Stylist, and The New York Times. She also leads Rahal/Sachs, a 360 creative agency focused on sports.

Previously, she founded an acclaimed cultural agency in Brazil, producing 50+ events annually, including international tours, and managing artists and a theatre company. Her work spans nonprofits, cultural organisations, and global brands such as Converse, Red Bull, and Lollapalooza.

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Meg Molloy is a freelance Cultural Strategy and Communications Consultant working with artists, galleries and organisations in the UK and internationally. ​With over a decade of experience in the arts, she has led communications, artist relations and museum liaison for galleries and cultural destinations.
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Meg has worked on landmark building projects and high-profile launches, including with Stephen Friedman Gallery, Venice Biennale, Dreamland Margate, Studio Voltaire and Dulwich Picture Gallery. She has led global communications campaigns for exhibitions and art fairs, and worked with both emerging and established artists worldwide. She is also a writer and photographer.

In 2024, Meg founded Working Arts Club, a network supporting arts professionals from working-class backgrounds. Comprising over 1,000 members, the club has collaborated with institutions and organisations such as the V&A and Frieze.
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Born in Margate, Kent, Meg is now based in South East London.

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Vivi Kallinikou is Managing Director of ArtRabbit, the international platform for discovering and engaging with contemporary art and visual culture. With over 15 years’ experience across the arts and creative industries, she leads the organisation’s strategy, audience development and global partnerships.

For the past 11 years, she has led the growth of ArtRabbit from a small London-based blog into an award-winning international platform connecting more than 5,000 arts organisations and over 8,000 artists and curators with an audience of 200,000 people each month. Under her leadership, the platform has expanded across major cultural hubs including New York, Los Angeles and Berlin, and has been featured in The New York Times as a leading resource for art discovery.

Her work focuses on audience development, digital transformation and the civic role of arts and culture, exploring how technology and community intersect to support more inclusive cultural ecosystems.

Vivi began her career at the blue-chip gallery Blain|Southern and has since worked across publishing, art market research and cultural production. She lectures at institutions including Sotheby’s Institute of Art and City, University of London, and mentors through I Like Networking. She holds an MA in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths, University of London.