This episode features Susanne Clausen, Chair of Open Hand Open Space (OHOS) and Professor of Fine Art at the University of Reading. The conversation delves into the unique nature of Open Hand Open Space, which is housed in Brock keep, a historic military keep on Oxford Road. Susanna emphasises that it serves as the town's only dedicated provider of long-term artist studios and the only dedicated contemporary art gallery in Reading. We also discuss Susanne's work and her exhibitions, as well as the vital role OHOS plays in providing affordable infrastructure for local creatives.

Finally, the conversation covers the significant challenges regarding the building's future. Susanne concludes by encouraging listeners to visit the gallery to discover the "best kept secret" of Reading's cultural landscape.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Retention of Local Talent

For a town to thrive, it must provide the infrastructure necessary to keep skilled graduates from local institutions like the University of Reading. OHOS serves as a critical bridge, offering the only dedicated long-term studio spaces for artists post-graduation. Without these affordable "incubator" spaces, creative talent often migrates to other cities, taking their innovation and economic contribution with them.

2. Boosting Reading's International Brand and Profile

Art is a vehicle for global networking. Susanne highlights how local artists represent Reading on the world stage—citing her own recent exhibition in Miami—which helps position the town as a sophisticated cultural destination rather than just a commercial hub. Supporting such spaces enhances Reading's competitive edge against comparable cities like Oxford or Milton Keynes.

3. Social Value and Community Cohesion through Cultural Hubs

OHOS acts as a "best kept secret" that drives community engagement by partnering with diverse groups, including refugees and the Hong Konger community. For business owners, a vibrant, culturally inclusive Oxford Road district improves the local environment, making it a more attractive place to live, work, and invest.

TIMECODES

00:00 Welcome to Susanne!

00:23 What is Open Hand Open Space

01:17 University of Reading connection

01:49 Reading's best kept secret

03:18 How Open Hand Open Space fits into Reading's creative setting

04:15 Some artists at Open Hand Open Space

06:18 Open Hand Open Space for the general public

06:56 How Open Hand Open Space is promoted to the public

07:52 About Susanne Clausen

10:02 What Reading needs to support artists

11:46 Why it's good for artists to exhibit their work

12:18 Is artwork used to convey specific messages

13:52 Challenges faced by Open Hand Open Space

17:06 How can people support Open Hand Open Space

18:26 Susane's final thoughts

In the final My Local Marketer episode of 2025, Maria shares four key takeaways from local business interviews to help Reading-based entrepreneurs succeed in 2026.

1. Mastery of Industry Insights

Maria highlights Becky Ottery from Eclectic Games, who stays competitive by tracking designer blogs, attending trade shows, and listening closely to customer interests.

To streamline this, Maria suggests using AI prompts—specifying your niche and location—to identify the best sources and people to follow.

2. Strategic Positioning

Differentiating your business from giants like Amazon is essential. Local shops provide value through specialist advice, product trials, and physical experiences that online retailers cannot match. Understanding this unique positioning allows for more effective marketing and targeting.

3. Shared Knowledge Systems

Becky Nallon of Double Barrelled Brewery shares how they use a "product book" containing brewer and marketing notes to empower front-of-house staff.

Collate your team's knowledge into a central resource to ensure consistent, high-quality customer service. Solo owners can use spreadsheets to track these details for contractors or partners.

4. Extraordinary Customer Touchpoints

Inspired by Pete Hefferon of Shed, Maria advises auditing every business touchpoint to add "thoughtful tweaks" that turn ordinary interactions into memorable experiences. Creating a "Fans First" culture leads to fiercely loyal followings and increased word-of-mouth growth.

By refining information channels, USP, and internal communication, local businesses can build a standout brand for 2026.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Build Robust Information Channels

To stay competitive, establish formal systems to track industry news, local developments, and audience interests. You can use AI tools like Gemini or ChatGPT to help identify specific blogs, trade press, and key influencers to follow. Becky Ottery from Eclectic Games highlights that listening to customers is often the best "crowd-sourced" method for staying ahead of trends.

2. Define Your Strategic Positioning

Clearly define how your business adds value in ways that global competitors like Amazon cannot. Specialist knowledge and physical experiences—such as product trials or expert advice—are critical USPs for local businesses. Understanding these unique advantages allows you to target your marketing more effectively.

3. Centralise Your Team's Knowledge

Improve customer service by sharing expertise across your entire staff. For instance, Double Barrelled Brewery uses a "product book" containing brewer and marketing notes to empower their team with consistent information. Even solo entrepreneurs can benefit by recording service details in a spreadsheet to streamline communication with future partners or contractors.

4. Elevate Every Customer Touchpoint

Audit every interaction a customer has with your brand and identify where you can add "thoughtful tweaks". Taking an ordinary process and making it extraordinary makes your business more memorable and shareable. This "Fans First" approach helps cultivate a loyal following and drives word-of-mouth growth.

This episode features Tomson Chauke, a musician, community leader, and founder of World Groove, discussing his mission to build bridges across the diverse communities of Reading. Tomson wears many hats, including running his band Limpopo Groove, working as a session musician, and hosting a radio podcast on B Radio.

The conversation centres on the work of his main project, World Groove CIC, which uses African drumming to help young people and young adults with autism find their rhythm. Tomson explains how this work creates a vital community where parents and carers also meet, share experiences, and form a supportive "tribe". He also mentions running the Sanctuary Strikers football team for asylum seekers and refugees as another way to connect people.

Tomson delves into his strategies for engaging diverse audiences, particularly through his vision for the World Groove festival, which aims to bring together the music and food of different cultures present in Reading. His workshops are designed to be simple and fun for everyone, using bodies, voices, and hands to create music and encourage interaction, effectively taking people away from their phones and back into shared human experience.

Finally, the discussion touches on the challenges facing community initiatives, mainly the lack of financial backup and the difficulty of finding suitable venues. Tomson strongly advocates for increased support, urging businesses to think outside the box and invest time, not just money, in helping community groups and struggling families. He concludes by emphasising the importance of kindness, paying attention to local needs, and sharing stories that inspire people in the community.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Power of Time Investment Over Just Money: Businesses should view community support as more than just financial donations. Investing employee time—even just a few hours a month—in local initiatives like World Groove creates deeper, more authentic connections with the community you serve, leading to improved brand goodwill and local visibility.

Collaboration Requires Flexibility and Openness to New Ideas: While approaching a partnership with a vision is good, be prepared to adapt it. Instead of dictating terms, approach potential partners with an open mind and ask, "Can you try this?" or "What can you bring to the table?". This flexibility is crucial for staying relevant, attracting new talent, and finding unexpected mutual benefits.

Building an Inclusive Local Network: Tomson's use of drumming and football to bridge cultural gaps provides a model for engagement. Businesses can leverage diverse local groups to expand their network and connect with untapped talent and customers, thereby learning more about the diverse community of Reading.

TIMECODE

00:00 Welcome to Tomson

00:24 Introduction to Tomson

00:49 Tomson's focuses

01:30 Bringing people together

02:43 How Tomson breaks down barriers and brings people together

04:04 How Tomson started to connect people

06:01 Open yourself up to different experiences

07:20 How Tomson balances everything

08:18 Advice for people who want to start collaborating

11:07 Tomson's audiences

13:07 How Tomson gets people engaged in an activity and having fun

16:17 What has peaked people's interest the most about what Tomson does

17:54 What challenges Tomson has faced

19:26 Tomson's key takeaways from the people he's interviewed

20:15 Local stories are more relatable and need to be shared to inspire local action

21:37 Tomson's plans for the future

23:58 How businesses can support the local community

27:06 Tomson's final thoughts