One page can unlock culture champions
Arts and cultural organisations often find themselves trying to explain many aspects of their work at once. Outreach here, a community project there, plus education, heritage, wellbeing and, at the heart of it all, the creative work.
Each strand is valuable. Together, they form a rich ecosystem of impact. But when a potential funder, partner or local business asks what you do, that richness can be difficult to describe in a way that feels clear and memorable.
That is where a short, one-page narrative can make a difference.
Why a narrative matters
A one-page story distils complexity into clarity. It helps cultural organisations express their purpose in language that others can easily understand and share.
Although it’s only around 500 words long, this document can be incredibly time-consuming to produce - it’s hard work sifting through everything that your organisation is to find the essence, especially if you’re deep in the weeds of the work yourself. So why is it worth doing?
Research from the Charities Aid Foundation shows that clarity of purpose and tangible storytelling are among the top drivers of donor confidence, ahead of factors such as scale or visibility. The same applies to arts and heritage funding. When people understand what you stand for and how your work makes a difference, they feel more confident supporting it.
A concise, well-crafted story also equips others to advocate for you. Funders, partners and local champions can explain your work to others without needing to learn your entire strategy. Making it easy turns supporters into advocates.
The Culture Chelmsford example
I saw this process in action while working with Culture Chelmsford, a cultural development trust that brings together arts, heritage, education and business partners across the city.
Their work is wide-ranging and interconnected, which made it difficult to explain in a way that felt cohesive. Together, we developed a single-page narrative that distilled everything they do into one clear, human story. It expresses what they stand for, how their work touches people’s lives and what they want others to help them achieve.
Culture Chelmsford used this narrative to approach potential “champion” organisations — local businesses and institutions that can advocate for culture in the city. Those champions, in turn, use the same one-pager to describe the trust’s work in their own conversations and networks.
The ripple effect
Once a one-page story begins to circulate, it works quietly on your behalf. Supporters use it to describe your organisation, funders use it to explain their investment decisions, and partners use it to frame their collaboration.
Studies of nonprofit communication show that organisations with clear, consistent stories stand out more strongly and build deeper relationships with supporters (Mitchell & Clark 2021). Clarity strengthens trust, and trust strengthens support.
Internally, a one-pager gives teams a shared sense of purpose. It helps new staff, volunteers and trustees understand what the organisation is trying to achieve, and it anchors communication across projects and departments.
What makes a one-page story work
A strong one-pager combines purpose, evidence and emotional truth.
Purpose. Begin with a clear statement of why your organisation exists. The Arts Council’s Let’s Create strategy highlights that audiences and funders are motivated by a sense of shared purpose. Your opening line should express that purpose simply and sincerely.
Evidence. Include examples that bring your work to life. Localised, human storytelling increases public willingness to engage with heritage and cultural projects. Real stories help others picture what impact looks like.
Truth. End with a phrase that feels natural to repeat. Not a slogan, but a sentence that captures your essence, stirs emotion, and can travel easily in conversation.
Together, these three elements can create a story that feels whole and confident.
Communication as craft
It’s important to note that this isn’t about dumbing down or simplifying your work. A one-page story does not reduce creativity - it just shapes a gateway into your organisation for people encountering it for the first time. It turns the complexity of what you do into something people who are less familiar with it can hold in their minds.
We love doing this work because it combines craft, attention to detail, and empathy. To write a brilliant narrative, we listen to what your place, a project or a community is trying to say, and shape that message in collaboration with you so others can carry it.
Behind every strong cultural organisation lies a clear sense of purpose and a confident way of expressing it. A one-page story can hold that confidence on a single sheet of paper.
Creating one takes reflection and collaboration, but it repays the effort. It brings coherence to your team, clarity to your supporters and conviction to your partnerships.
When people can see and share what you stand for, your story grows through them.
Entangled Creative works with cultural and heritage organisations to uncover the essence of their story, express it in clear, confident language and create practical tools — including one-page narratives — that help others share it with ease.