Recognised Cultural Contributions Registry

The Recognised Cultural Contributions Registry lists defined cultural contributions that have been reviewed and recognised within the Commons Framework stewarded by the Creative Women’s Association (CWA).

Each entry represents a clearly articulated cultural contribution that has:

• undergone a Cultural Contribution Assessment (CCA)
• met shared standards for origin, integrity, and accountable practice
• been recognised as contributing cultural, social, economic, or public value
• where appropriate, been issued the Commons Seal

The Registry exists to make cultural contribution visible, attributable, and trusted across contexts including culture, health, education, care, manufacturing, and community life.

What Recoginiton Means

Every contribution listed in this Registry has been reviewed against shared criteria, including:

• Origin — how the contribution came into being and who is responsible for its delivery
• Integrity — how the contribution aligns with agreed standards of practice
• Custodianship — how continuity and responsibility are maintained over time

Recognition applies only to the defined contribution itself.
It does not automatically extend to all work produced by an individual or organisation..

Inaugural Listings

Cultural contributions are currently progressing through Cultural Contribution Assessment (CCA) and will be added to the Registry as recognition is confirmed.

These inaugural listings will help establish early reference points for:

• provenance and authorship
• shared standards of integrity
• appropriate and transparent use of the Commons Seal

As the Commons Framework is taken up more widely, the Registry will reflect cultural contributions across multiple sectors, practice domains, and forms of work.

The Commons Framework

What the Commons Seal Signifies

The Commons Seal is a recognition mark applied to defined cultural contributions within the Commons Framework.

It signifies that a contribution has been:

• clearly articulated and attributed
• reviewed against shared, non-statutory standards
• recognised within a safeguarding-adjacent provenance system

The Commons Seal applies to specific cultural contributions — tangible or intangible.
It does not automatically extend to all work produced by a practitioner or organisation.

Whether appearing on a product, program, practice, or registry entry, the Commons Seal signals:

• attributed origin
• accountable authorship
• recognised cultural value

Founding Context

The Creative Women’s Association (CWA) is the originating steward of the Commons Framework and remains the long-term guardian of:

• the Commons Seal
• shared standards and assessment processes
• the integrity and continuity of the recognition system

Early recognised contributions reflect where evidence shows the greatest concentration of historically unrecognised cultural labour. The framework itself is designed to be inclusive and to broaden over time, in service of the common good.