BRIDGE

THE PATHS WE TAKE Royal Opera House Bridge 2012 to 2015 and beyond BRIDGE

THE PATHS WE TAKE Royal Opera House Bridge 2012 to 2015 and beyond Children writing their feedback on the Deloitte Ignite evaluation wall ©ROH 2015. Photographed by Sim Canetty-Clarke Welcome

Learning and participation is at the very heart of all that we do at the across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex and North Kent. Through Royal Opera House. It’s an area that has grown in importance over Bridge’s strategic support of Local Cultural Education Partnerships, many years and this is echoed in many other cultural organizations new forms of collaboration are being explored and we are developing nationally. Across the sector the number of national portfolio innovative models that can be expanded to have a national impact. organizations that meet Arts Council England’s goal for improving There is a huge challenge in improving access to arts and culture for access for children and young people has increased significantly in the all, but with challenge comes the opportunity for innovation. It’s been last three years. very exciting to see the new approaches, strong partnerships and However, far too many children and young people still do not have diverse programmes that have developed in the Bridge region. The case the high quality and vibrant local cultural opportunities that we believe studies collected here illustrate that diversity and demonstrate how we they are entitled to – opportunities that can make such a difference to are building on examples of good practice to achieve long-term benefits. their lives. Arts Council England’s Cultural Education Challenge is a I hope you enjoy reading about the work we have been supporting timely and relevant call to all of us in arts, culture and education to through ROH Bridge and will be encouraged to take up the Cultural forge stronger cross-sector connections that will ensure we reach Education Challenge, to connect more children with great art and the areas of most need. culture and to really make a difference. At the Royal Opera House, we are ambitious about increasing the reach of participation opportunities. ROH Bridge plays a pivotal role in Alex Beard CBE our learning and participation strategy, enabling us to extend our work Chief Executive, Royal Opera House Children performing at the FUSED Festival as part of Thurrock Trailblazer ©ROH 2015. Photographed by Brian Slater. Contents

Developing New Models for About ROH Bridge 6 Place-making 24

Early Career Teachers and Literacy What we do 8 Curriculum Development 28

Are We Nearly There Yet? 10 Young Cultural Leaders 32

Arts and Cultural Commissioning 12 The Cultural Education Challenge 36

Growing a Cultural Education Music Hubs: Working Together Enterprise 16 for SEND Opportunities 40

Connecting Schools With Local Ahead for Culture Cultural Providers 20 44 Who we have worked with 2012–15. Schools of all kinds, PRU, FE and HE institutions. Arts and cultural organizations. About Royal Opera House Bridge

Royal Opera House Bridge works strategically across Bedfordshire, We meet these aims through ‘Working with ROH Bridge Hertfordshire, Essex and North Kent to connect and nurture high strategic partnership has allowed me to develop quality, sustainable cultural learning for all children and young investment, workforce my offer to local children, people. development, research and especially those from We do not deliver arts activities or work with children and young advocacy – particularly in backgrounds where access people directly, rather we provide strategic support for delivery communities where there is to the arts has been limited organizations and advocate for long-term investment in arts and limited local provision or and to those with learning cultural infrastructure. experience. disability.’ We are based at High House Production Park in Thurrock We promote Arts Award and ROH Bridge Annual Survey and are one of 10 Bridge organizations across England. Artsmark as ways to structure, We are directly funded by Arts Council England and are track and celebrate cultural part of the Royal Opera House Learning and Participation education on a personal and organizational level. All of our work is Department. ROH Bridge is currently funded until 2018. based on local need and partnerships. We have three main aims: Between 2012 and 2014 we invested £717,108 in sustainable  Assure cultural education is guaranteed for all children partnerships and an additional £284,018 in the target areas of and young people. Film, Teaching Schools, Diversity and Heritage. This investment  Nurture the cultural ambition and skills within organizations. leveraged an additional £1,680,020 in co-investment. With our  Champion the value of investing in arts and culture at a support, 226 schools gained Artsmark status and 8,655 young local and national level. people achieved an Arts Award.

Find out more about us at www.roh.org.uk/bridge or follow us @ROHBridge

7

What We Do…

Our Vision Our Aims Our Values By 2018, we aim for successful delivery of Values and principles that underpin our work: To empower a generation our programme to result in: through connecting children  We believe that creative and cultural  Fairer and more universal access learning lies at the heart of education, and young people to a across every part of the region, so that with assured opportunities not only to sustainable, high quality all children and young people can develop skills, knowledge and engage with culture on their doorstep. understanding but also to progress. cultural learning offer that  High quality provision with clear  Inclusivity and diversity is central to all assures progression and has progression pathways that are place we do. based and responsive to the  The thoughts, ideas and opinions of the needs and interests of characteristics and needs of our children and young people lie at the children and young people sub-regions. heart of our programme.  A motivated workforce and wider  Our strategic interventions will be at its heart. community that values the arts and informed by evidence and tailored to need. culture and recognizes the benefits of  We recognize the importance of cultural engagement for children and celebrating and finding contemporary young people. relevance in heritage.  A sustained legacy for ACE’s  We incentivise new models of working investment, independently and practice that strengthen local developed and delivered by a wide infrastructure. range of cultural, learning and  We foster resilience and sustainability community partners operating within in all our cross-sector collaborations. strong local infrastructures.  We promote aspiration, quality and excellence.

Our Priorities 2015–18 new cultural champions will emerge from Assuring cultural education entitlement for all within existing structures and networks. We will children and young people increase the value that all cultural organizations Working directly with schools and other within the region place upon children and education and youth providers, frequently in young peoples’ learning and participation. We partnership with the cultural sector, will also help parents understand that cultural we will increase sustainable and planned learning is important in order that they might access to excellent cultural learning for all better support their children’s involvement. children and young people. This will build on local cultural assets, be tailored to local need Priority four and assure progression. Our fourth and final priority changes annually. In 2015/16 our fourth priority will focus on the Nurturing cultural ambition development of Local Cultural Education Working directly with the cultural sector, Partnerships (LCEP). We will use this year to frequently in partnership with schools, local effectively establish five LCEP within our authorities and potential co-investors, we will focus areas of Medway, Colchester, Bedford, increase the quality and extend the reach of Thurrock and Luton. We will galvanize our cultural learning opportunities for children and existing partnerships within these areas to young people across the ROH Bridge region. support a clear articulation of a local cultural We will encourage innovation and culturally offer to teachers, parents, children and young diverse practice throughout. people and the arts and cultural sector. New partnerships will be created and Advocacy and influence existing partnerships will be enhanced. The quality of the cultural infrastructure in our [OVERMATTER] region will attract creative professionals and For details of our 2015/16 action plan please Finger knitting at Deloitte Ignite 15 encourage investment. With ROH Bridge support, email the relevant Programme Manager (p48). ©ROH 2015. Photographed by Sim Canetty-Clarke

9 Are We Nearly There Yet?

When we set off on this journey as Royal and a real desire to connect across sectors. The climate that the ROH Bridge Programme Opera House Bridge in 2012, I’m not sure I We are proud of the recognition that the Managers are working in is a cautious and fully envisaged all the many different paths connections we have brokered have received: tentative one. Many organizations face we would end up travelling. The goal has for example the prestigious curriculum reduced capacity. Arts departments in always been clear but the landscape is forever development award attached to Creative secondary schools and FE colleges are changing. Writing through the Arts in Billericay (see p28), shrinking; all schools face a new OFSTED As we have developed new partnerships, the increasing numbers of schools now framework and new accountability measures learned together and trialled innovative subscribing to Thurrock Trailblazer (see p36), for indicating school performance; primary models, new opportunities have continued to Canvey Island schools choosing to invest in schools are engaging with an unfamiliar, more open up. Now, embarking on a second three- work with Pop Up (see p16), the national knowledge-driven curriculum while fighting to year term until March 2018, it is a key moment interest shown in the Arts and Cultural maintain standards and build aspiration in their to look back on all that has been achieved and Commissioning Toolkit that we have helped learners and cultural organizations have to look ahead at the new challenges and new develop in Kent (see p12) and an increase in increasingly small core teams and must rely on paths we will take together. support for the work of music hubs in special freelance support for their learning work. This Feedback from our annual stakeholder schools across the region (see p40). kind of austere ecology makes growth difficult. survey suggests that the role of ROH Bridge, We are becoming better at helping to build However, there are many positives on the as a broker of cultural education relationships, working relationships that find sustainable immediate horizon. The Artsmark Award has is increasingly understood and that there is a solutions to local needs. However, we are been revitalized, by schools for schools, and growing confidence in the impact of that work. operating in an evolving landscape that provides a new and flexible way to support Our annual conference Ahead for Culture, this requires a flexible and agile response. whole school integration of arts and culture. year on the theme of leadership, attracted over Only 54% of respondents to our survey felt Arts Council England has issued a cross-sector 200 delegates. This shows a flourishing confident about the future of arts and culture call to arms through the Cultural Education movement of skilled professionals who are for children in their area. There is still much Challenge, with a clear focus on establishing championing cultural learning in the region we must do. Local Cultural Education Partnerships. The Royal Opera House’s new Learning and Participation children and young people that we have Strategy is full of new approaches to increase witnessed develop in that time. The aim is not reach beyond London through partnerships to simply reflect on three years of our partners’ and innovative use of digital technologies. accomplishments. We want to make visible the The number of successful applications to leaps of faith, false starts, timely interventions the ACE Grants for the Arts programme has and real triumphs that make up such journeys increased significantly across the whole Bridge so that they can inform all of our next steps. region since 2012. While this is not all for My hope is that by hearing from our partners, cultural learning activities, it does show a in their own words, we can celebrate the growing ambition and effectiveness among multiplicity and vibrancy in the region, and arts organizations in our area. that these models can guide us along other Looking towards 2018, we are committed to paths to success. helping establish a high quality cultural Yes, there is a challenge ahead, but as a learning offer for all children and young people community we are prepared. In our survey, in our region. We will do this through nurturing 68% of respondents said they now feel more new Local Cultural Education Partnerships, confident to advocate for arts and culture in helping partners to embed Quality Principles their area. in their work and supporting all schools with So, are we nearly there yet? It may be a long their Artsmark journey. road, but together we have the confidence, The Paths We Take presents a selection of skills and passion to make huge strides. strategic partnerships that we have supported in different ways over the last few years. It offers a long-term view on the nature of the Sally Manser changes in cultural learning opportunities for Head of Royal Opera House Bridge.

A cross-sector networking day Photographed by R. Cherry Arts and Cultural Commissioning

Next Generation Youth Theatre perform at the Ahead for Culture conference at the Royal Opera House ©ROH 2015. Photographed by Sim Canetty-Clarke ‘A highlight was seeing first- hand how participation in some simple, but unfamiliar arts activities can make a Commissioning is an exciting but complex and challenging new A mix of six arts organizations and opportunity for arts and cultural organizations. Laura Bailey, collaborative partnerships were huge difference in individual contracted as service providers and a young people’s wellbeing.’ Arts Officer for Kent County Council, and Lucy Medhurst, bespoke support package was devised to Senior Youth Worker The Grand Strategic Manager, Artswork Bridge, describe how a coalition of help the providers through the journey. County Councils, commissioners, Bridges and cultural providers The organizations were expected to formed around what initially seemed like a simple challenge: deliver creative interventions that could adhered to, a new language to learn improve the well-being of young people at and new partnerships to develop, but a how can commissioners and the cultural sector work together? risk of mental health issues and to shared vision and a willingness to learn disseminate the Six Ways to Wellbeing together helped keep the momentum. In 2014 Kent County Council’s (KCC) A steering group was set up that messages among the wider population. Communication between partners was Arts and Culture Service developed included KCC, ROH Bridge, Artswork, at times challenging but solutions were and managed a pilot commission in public health and arts providers. Events A Challenging Journey found that enabled the project to partnership with Royal Opera House brought together representatives from The journey was a challenging but progress successfully. Bridge, Artswork and Public Health. both disciplines where synergies were rewarding one. We were all new to public The interventions delivered were The pilot aimed to deliver improved instantly recognized. service commissioning and procurement incredibly varied in approach and art form well-being for young people using creative processes. There were rules to be and all were of excellent quality. They interventions, and capacity building for Going Beyond the Pilot cultural organizations to enable the Over the following two years the sector to become commission ready. partnership evolved and strengthened, The pilot resulted in the Arts and particularly as public health became part Cultural Commissioning Toolkit (ACCT) – of Kent County Council. The idea for a pilot www.artscommissioningtoolkit.com – to test commissioning arts interventions an animated online resource to guide for health outcomes progressed from a providers through the commissioning small scale, small budget proposal to a process. It also led to KCC being selected £250,000 project across six districts in as a national partner in the Arts Council Kent based around KCC’s Six Ways to England funded Cultural Commissioning Wellbeing campaign (developed by New Programme. Economics Foundation, NEF, and South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, SLAM). Starting the Conversation It was important to us all to capture The work was born out of conversations the process of the pilot so that it could between ROH Bridge’s Programme be developed into a learning resource for Manager Emma Crook and KCC’s Arts and the culture sector to inform a longer term Culture service in 2012 about the potential sustainable plan for arts and cultural for arts and cultural organizations to deliver commissioning. MB Associates were public services through commissioning. It contracted to record the process from was acknowledged that neither the culture the perspective of all stakeholders, sector nor commissioners had much establish recommendations for a future knowledge of how each other worked but commissioning mechanism, and develop The Infinity Box: an ArtBeat project led by Turner Contemporary for Kent County Council’s Six Ways to that both could benefit from joint working. a toolkit for the culture sector. Wellbeing

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Growing a Cultural Education Enterprise

Storyteller Rich Sylvester as a frog at a Pop Up festival at High House Production Park, Thurrock ©ROH 2015. Photographed by Patrick Boyd ‘As the school year has progressed, the majority of children have become more excited to write and Starting up any small business is a challenge – succeeding as Turning Formats on Their Head a cultural education provider requires much more than magic. Pop Up Festival turns the literature festival are taking more risks, using Dylan Calder, Director of Pop Up Projects, explores how format on its head. Instead of readings, higher level vocabulary talks and workshops, we commission as well as showing more through collaboration, innovation and an ‘activist-passion’, children’s writers, illustrators, poets micro-businesses can have a big impact on children’s lives. and storytellers to design and present confidence with spelling.’ imaginative, interdisciplinary experiences, activities and installations for children of total of 30 workshop days in schools in the all ages – and to involve local or visiting run-up to the festivals. Headline evaluation children in co-creating aspects of each findings included: Pop Up and Royal Opera House Bridge public spaces who’ve never hosted a commission. It’s not a quiet or well-behaved share an activist-passion for making not literature festival but would love to. festival. Hardly anything is time-based,  100% of children ‘enjoyed’ the festivals. just our own art-forms but all arts relevant and audiences have total freedom of  100% said they would ‘recommend it and meaningful to children and families Trusting Relationships movement, dipping in and out until they find to friends’. who might not ordinarily set foot in an To achieve this, we need to work with and the experience most meaningful to them.  96% of adults considered it to be opera house or literature festival. through organizations and people who Across the festival tour, we collaboratively ‘special or different’. have trusting relationships with the delivered 180 hours of free live literature  94% of children and 74% of adults said A Portal to Another World schools and communities we want to to a combined audience of 8000, and a they were more likely to ‘buy or borrow Children often form strong opinions about engage. ROH Bridge have patiently forged literature as early as seven years old, as intimate alliances with schools. They spot they’re shepherded from the immersive synergies between people and places and panoramas of picture books towards intuitively bring them together, operating the study of prose. Reading becomes on the principle that togetherness brings less sensational; as learning focuses about change. on the technology of writing it can As a micro-organization doing biggish simultaneously eradicate the magic so things, Pop Up thrives on collaboration. that, slowly but surely, those portals that Collaboration represents a merging of stories open into other worlds start to skillsets, makes us reflect on our values close. As you advance up the educational and improve how we do things, shoulders ladder, books are things to be scrutinized, the burdens and makes ideas possible. By dissected and regurgitated in critical combining forces we increase the power reviews; writing is something you’re tested and potential of something. on. Reading and pleasure, once intimately In summer 2013 our collaboration with entwined, become firmly segregated from ROH Bridge, Royal Opera House and one another. Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust in This is why Pop Up exists: to seek out Shropshire came to life through generous children in danger of becoming alienated funding by Arts Council England to from books, families who have turned produce three Pop Up Festivals, one each their backs on reading, teachers hemmed- in Telford in Shropshire, Swiss Cottage in in by set texts, schools stifled by targets London and High House Production Park and standards and communities and in Thurrock. Picture book author Ken Wilson-Max visiting local schools Photographed by Patrick Boyd

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Connecting Schools with Local Cultural Providers

Pupils take on the Culture Challenge at The Higgins Bedford Photographed by Graham Watson/ Cat Lane ‘Since engaging with the Culture Challenge the school is prioritising arts and culture on next year’s Communication between schools and cultural providers is Raising Aspiration often difficult to establish but once started it can lead to The students’ data shows a nuanced development plan in order long-lasting partnerships with profound impacts on both sides. picture, which may reflect the complex to work towards achieving nature of this small group. While their an Artsmark Award.’ Kayte Judge, Associate Producer at Bedford Creative Arts, overall enjoyment of school seemed to looks at how the Culture Challenge concept helped galvanize dip, the numbers of students who were Denise Cottam Head teacher links and stimulate ambition. inspired by recent cultural activities rose from 67% to 89%, and those who felt that Beauchamp Middle School had begun cultural activities helped them with their their Artsmark journey when they began school work rose from 44% to 56%. the Culture Challenge pilot and had The Culture Challenge (www.culture mobility through cultural activity. This The teachers reported increased levels delivered Arts Award before. They challenge.co.uk) was developed in assertion is based on the research found of interest and engagement: ‘The children decided to use Arts Award Explore as an response to needs identified through the by the Cultural Learning Alliance that are more interested in the cultural aspects intervention activity for eight Year 6 Royal Opera House Bridge seed funded shows that learning through arts and of learning and independently expressed a underachieving boys as a SEN inclusion Bedford Culture Network, a network of culture improves the engagement and desire for more work of this nature.’ project. They visited and had outreach cultural leaders and teachers which met prospects of young people. six times in 2013. The aim of this network was to encourage more engagement in Arts Award and Artsmark the arts for young people via schools. It We undertook the pilot with 14 schools, emerged that a lack of clear communication including lower, primary, middle, upper, was a clear barrier to schools working with independent and a pupil referral unit. creative and cultural practitioners. While the approach differed in each setting, a total of 1866 children took part A Call to Action in the pilot – each accessing at least two In response to this, the Culture Challenge cultural activities over one term, and was developed. Its aim is to increase the undertaking both the challenge checklist number of young people accessing, itself and an evaluation questionnaire. enjoying and making art and culture by Shortstown Primary serves an area of providing clear details of local cultural socio-economic deprivation in Bedford providers to schools through a searchable Borough. Prior to the Culture Challenge online directory. Alongside this sits the the school often engaged with outside Culture Checklist, a list of 30 things young practitioners but hadn’t considered Arts people might like to try before they leave Award or Artsmark. They chose to school, developed in consultation with undertake the Culture Challenge with 12 young people, cultural leaders and Year 5 students attending an intervention teachers. The list provides a call to action, group called ‘Life skills’. They undertook a an aspirational checklist for young people felt self-portrait making session with artist and a practical tool for schools to identify Anne Marie Stijelja in which they explored opportunities for cultural learning. their emotions, and a performance and For us the underlying goal of the puppet-making workshop with The Culture Challenge is to increase social Theatre of Widdershins. Completing the Culture Challenge at the Panacea Museum Photographed by Graham Watson/Cat Lane

21 money. The process has been an exciting exciting an been has process The money. for applying in case our helped contacts and website Challenge Culture the ‘Using funding: access and artists with to work him helped had project the of part being amazing’, is it because my life changed ‘Art has positive experience: particularly a been had this some for that showed Funding. Access Award Arts attracted successfully also They artist. and a sculptor Pibworth, Paul with worked and museum, and gallery art Higgins The the from Penny Earey Theatre of Widdershins with confidence.’ schools to bookour work doors for allowing and us, This website is opening up get schools to bookus. found it really difficultto over 20 years we and have ‘We have touring been for

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showing a high value to the project. project. to the value ahigh showing identity, or badge Challenge Culture a value would them of 91% and easy and free trouble was checklist and website the of use Their learners. their on impact apositive had had activities cultural that agreed strongly or agreed 91% and school, of outside and inside both learners by their undertaken activities cultural of number the increased had project the that reporting percentages high pilot, the during with working we were schools of number small the for remarkable is which bookings, in increase an seen had evaluation to the responded who practitioners the of half Over well. as practitioners creative the for results good had pilot The Professional Benefits network of a committed website.’ acommitted of network safety and assurance the with artists real to use aschool as us enabled has it as one Teachers were more positive still with with still positive more were Teachers Schools usingtheCulture Challengeto bringmore creativity into theclassroom Photographed by Graham Watson/Cat Lane map thelocalcultur aspira identify needsand ev Netw Th ents wher e ne ork holdsaseriesof tions andbegint w Bedfor e delegat d Cultur al oer es o e acce cultur galv identify theneedfora Netw anised localartsand ssible b ork members al oerthatismor online Cultur House Bridget £12, In de Bedfor y schools ve v elops aPartnership 000 fr stment pr d Cr om R eativ al Map e oposal securing o pr oy e Arts

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Related Programmes: Connecting withSchools and inspirational with programmes Cultural partners are developing unique mobile app in schools; and the world’s world’s the and schools; in app mobile Artsbox Award Arts the piloting children; by created exhibits all with museum a into transformed being Hall Chalkwell in culminated that programme heritage and arts an festival, Line the On the included and heritageinspiring activity. arts These with schools local connected that projects of arange on together closely worked have Metal and Bridge ROH 2012, Since area. the in culture and arts connect and to innovate continued have Metal Southend, in learning cultural for base anew creating and Hall Chalkwell listed II Grade the renovating Since Metal years. of anumber over schools with partnership in evolve and develop commitment with programmes that schools that demonstrate a lasting

2015 www.orchestraslive.org.uk schools. primary local into streamed live was performance final the one year In Carnival. of theme the using music original to create musicians young gifted and schools with worked has Live Time London Sinfonia. The project called First of City and Service Music Luton Culture, Luton UKCCA, partners involving Luton in aprogramme on Live Orchestras with co-invested House Opera Royal 2014/15 In programme Live Time First www.metalculture.com region. whole the across schools more ever supporting and connecting are Metal 2016, in Festival Estuary aThames for plans and festivals Beach Village and Green Village the Through 2015. in NetPark first lar out ofthechallenget ROH Bridget partnership in submit asec Bedf ger c or d Cr ohort ofschools eativ ond o enabler ve e Arts stment t o a oll o

Developing New Models for Place-making In liaison with the local community children created welcome moments at each village for when the walkers Place can make a huge impact on cultural education – it can We devised a concept of a 100-mile inspire and challenge, it can connect through experience or walk that would connect eight communities, passed through. four on either side of the river, working Ali Pretty Founder of Kinetika isolate through geography. Ali Pretty, Founder of Kinetika, with eight local artists who were found a move out of London opened surprising new partnered with eight schools. opportunities for growth. Through outdoor arts, Kinetika is In partnership with digital artist Richard opening conversations with communities and helping them White, we collaborated with the local I kicked off the process using these artists to work together as one team. We questions to generate drawings that find ways to make a new sense of their own place. selected three questions that would be reflected each community’s perception of the starting point for the work in each the river. I then spent 10 days based at The In 2014 we moved Kinetika from East symposium – Changing Places. This was community. Crouch Yacht Club in Burnham and The London to Purfleet. Initially we were a great opportunity for key players in Brandy Hole in Hullbridge to create eight tempted out of London to Thurrock by the industry, such as Nicky Webb of  Why is this place here? four-metre high silk flags that we were to the brilliant spaces provided at the Acme Artichoke, to inspire potential  How do you cross the river? collect and carry on the walk. Artists Studios, but it only took a few commissioners from Local Authority  What are the stories and how do you Artists were grouped into pairs and days to realize that we also had great officers to the National Trust to think become the storyteller? each artist worked with a different school neighbours, including the ROH Bridge team. about how outdoor arts can make a significant impact on their communities. Sparks It so happened that the Tour De France Walking and Making Places was passing through Essex that summer One of the challenges in engaging people and the Bridge and Essex CC Cultural in the arts in rural and isolated communities Development team were keen on working is lack of arts venues and in some cases with schools in the Epping area to create virtually no arts provision at all. a visual welcome to the cyclists as they I’ve spent the last four years developing came through. We worked with 120 primary creative walking projects moving away school children to create their own silk from the city and into remoter landscapes, flags featuring drawings of the local area. and I’ve recently completed leading River One of these schools, St. Andrews, took Crouch Celebrations – a unique project up the offer of the Discover Arts Award supported by the Bridge that focused on and a whole Year 3 class came to the the River Crouch. Kinetika studio warming event where they I was approached by the Arts could visit the ROH Production Workshop, Development Officer for Rochford to as well as our own studio, and meet artists devise a programme of work that would from a wide range of disciplines. create a response to the River Crouch. After This sparked a further conversation a series of preparatory walks last summer, around ways in which outdoor arts could we noticed how communities on both sides engage children and young people in of the river, who were once connected by cultural learning and participation. I was it, were now disconnected as there is only invited to work with ROH, Artswork and one crossing left in the form of the Burnham Opposite: Royal Opera House, Thurrock ©ROH/John Snelling, 2012. Above: Children lead the way on a Festival Bridges to devise a one-day ferry, a small dinghy run by two brothers. Thurrock 100 walk with Kinetika flags Photographed by Mike Johnston

25 Mike Johnston andMarkForrest Deloitte Ignite 15©ROH 2015. Photographed by One ofKinetika’s 12silkbannersmadefor 2014 mo notic Rochfor Manager forEsse Bridge Pr ving t e thatKinetikaar d DCArtsOc o Esse ogr amme x x giv es e er

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2015 s fr o om (£29,853) succe application the Arts Gr ants for ssful community, building visitor numbers to the for together to work sailing), and nature (including sectors leisure outdoor and visitor the in involved those especially bring together local stakeholders, will team The areas. coastal in working encourage greater local partnership successful Dengie Gateway Project. the upon building partnership, new a Team be will Community Coastal Crouch River The officer. tourism and culture new Crouch and Rochford are appointing a Team for Coastal anew for raised been have funds then since river, and the of side either from councils two the together brought walk Crouch River the of part as day boat Our out. play legacy the see England. of East the and Essex of parts other into journey the continuing and model the growing conversation, this to developing forward looking much very I’m community. to awider connected The main aim of the team is to to is team the of aim main The to start we can 2015, Autumn Now, in South W fr of theRiv on thenorthbank Pr om Br epar atory w adw Council Rochfor Fe in Riv Bridges c oodham er Cr stiv ell to er Cr al with alks ouch d District

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signed up 10 artists 8 schools, begins pr Celebr Riv ogr er Cr www.kinetikaonline.co.uk Thurrockand Schools. Kolkata between exchange an initiating and Hooghly river the of banks the along walk mile a100 out scoping Kolkata, to model the taking to explore grant Research India aRe-Imagine secured we have and dimension international an specific dancefinale. asite- to create groups performance and dance with working and illustration and writing creative in schools 20 Heritage groups and sites and engaging with working Thurrock of Stories 100 to create we aim 2016 In become an annual ten-day arts festival. towalking for model Thurrock100 the developing busy we are Thurrock, to offer. has area the attractions outdoor fantastic the to experience the River Crouch and encouraging people amme ations Looking ahead to 2017 we wish to add to add we wish to 2017 ahead Looking in base home our at here Meanwhile, and paint designed 8 Flags ouch ed opportunities andlegac either sideoftheriv Councillors fr Cr host Lead artistsatt ouch BoatDa ed b y MaldonDistrictCouncil;Riv

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2016 Early Career Teachers and Literacy Curriculum Development

Arts Award Discover In a Day workshops held at Village Beach Festival in Greys Photographed by Gavin Bell ‘The collaboration was focused and effective from the start, with shared aims. All the contributors had In 2014/15 Royal Opera House Bridge supported the Billericay supportive of both the creative ideas and Teaching School Alliance in Essex and Anglia Ruskin University the fact that their school would be their expertise, and this has in a project to help grow early careers teachers’ confidence in involved in research. produced a project that is stronger than any one working with the cultural sector. Here, Lyn Corderoy, Head Combining Practical Projects with teacher at Grange Primary School in Wickford, reflects on her Research organization could have role in the project and the learning she will carry forward. Working alongside other professionals produced individually.’ from different educational ‘strands’ Dr. Geraldine Davis has been both inspiring and extremely enlightening. To be able to develop Anglia Ruskin University My school and I are passionate about the teachers attended creative events creative learning opportunities alongside use of creativity to inspire learning. As a facilitated by a range of local cultural the research element has been an ideal Creative Learning lecturer at Billericay providers. They also attended research combination. the teachers loved the opportunity to be School Centered Initial Teacher Training design workshops led by Anglia Ruskin The staff who took part brought a lot of creative themselves and were even more (SCITT), I strongly believe that children University. The teachers then planned and energy and enthusiasm to the sessions excited that they could then go and share learn best in a creative and inspiring implemented their own in-school projects. with the House of Illustration, MakeBelieve all that excitement with their pupils – that curriculum. However, as an experienced Since it began, the programme has been Arts and other cultural providers. I think they could confidently show their students head teacher I am also very mindful of the presented at an International Arts in need for schools to fulfil the Government’s Society Conference and been awarded a standards agenda and pressures that national prize for curriculum development develop around Ofsted. I firmly believe from the British Educational Research that most Primary Heads know in their Association, the British Curriculum Forum hearts that creative learning through the and publishers Routledge Taylor-Francis. arts is the best way forward, but it’s hard There was much initial discussion with to follow that through when SATs results my project colleagues, Tony Ward from and Ofsted are looming! To provide a Billericay Teaching School Alliance and way for schools to do both is a win-win Dr Paulette Luff and Dr Geraldine Davis situation! from Anglia Ruskin University, on the best So, I was delighted when I was asked to route to take. We decided that a way to contribute to this project that aimed to ‘hook’ schools onto the project and give it bring these two challenges together. sustainability was to explore how schools could raise standards in writing with the An Effective, Focused Partnership support and inspiration of arts The project aimed to develop children’s practitioners. creative writing by enabling teachers in The schools and Head Teachers that their classrooms to make use of music, showed an initial interest were really drama and illustration activities to engage attracted by the chance of raising children in developing their writing. standards in writing – any Head’s dream! Eighteen primary school teachers, in Writing is an ongoing key focus for all their second to fifth year of their career, schools, especially with the challenge of from 13 schools in Essex, took part. The reluctant boys. The Heads were very Early Careers Teachers from Billericay share their research with colleagues.

29 An example ofanillustration madeby ateacher onaCreative Writing through theArtsinspiration day

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r Uni Anglia Ruskin c evaluation ev Final sharing Related Programmes: SchoolClusters Inspired by the success of other creative creative other of success by the Inspired Kent North of Curriculum Central Bedfordshire The schools. the among grown has curriculum the driving for avehicle as arts in enthusiasm Programme. Through the programme, specific Professional StudyGroup arts an for Partnership School Teaching Bedfordshire Central with investment partnership provided Bridge ROH Professional Study Group Programme project-pages/curriculum-of-north-kent www.engagingwithmuseums.org/ classroom. the outside learn learning and increases to opportunities explores creative approaches to literacy CONK sites, heritage more four LV21 and organizations, arts Museum, Guildhall the with Working (CONK). Kent North of Curriculum the to develop investment Bridge used have Medway in Co-ordinators Literacy Primary literacy programmes, oncluded by ent and ve rsity Ta awa de a curriculum Pr oject re ylor Routledge v elopment rd

fr om c eiv es in fundr steering gr inspir funding £15, Pr ogr network. network. the across schools for arranged to be development professional further to allow schools particpating from secured been self-sustaining, and investment has to become network the helping is practitioners and four local teachers, dance two comprising group, A steering children and young people benefiting. 2000 over with event, asharing in participated and club adance up set have network the in schools All two years. first its for in co-invested Bridge ROH that Initiative Dance Braintree the in engaged actively are schools 16 of A network Initiative Dance Braintree www.cbtsp.co.uk partnership. whole the for briefings Artsmark and sessions refresher Award Arts additional with complemented was Professional Study Group Programme 000 ofBridge ation w y meeting for first planning r ev Dissemination amme re eport and ear tw ent offinal aising activities to c oup engage ontinue ork while o c eiv es Artsmark journe embark onan schools agr All pr Artsmark Aw Platinum School Gr ange Primary ogr amme awa

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d 2016 Bridgefest Ambassadors at the You Ask, We Answer event held Young Cultural Leaders at the Royal Opera House ©ROH 2015. Photographed by Nick Strugnell ‘Not only do I feel as if I am improving the availability of arts opportunities for me but also for lots of other people.’ Building on previous research and experience, Royal Opera young people from across the region for House Bridge asked The Audience Agency to co-produce new two packed training and consultation Rachel Bridgefest Ambassador research on young peoples’ views of arts and cultural opportunities days. in the region and explore how young people could become active Building Relationships concept. They really helped spread the cultural ambassadors. The agency’s Head of Engagement Lucie The success in initial recruitment was word and also had lots to share about the Fitton reveals how, from an initial concept, the journey has greatly helped by the significant amount research questions too. of time – three months – we invested Recruiting a large group was a key developed (and continues to develop) in varied and exciting ways. at the start of the project. This allowed success factor. It meant we had a fairly me to build relationships with arts and representative sample (male and female, What arts and cultural activities do young had some very clear research aims, but at youth organizations in the region who those both into arts and not) to shape the people do? What would they like to do? the same time we needed young people could help. Some of this developed rest of the project. What motivates them? What might stop to challenge and take ownership of these through face-to-face meetings but there Over the two days of training and them… and how do they hear about early on in the process. was also lots of phone chats and email consultation we developed the research creative opportunities? These were some To be successful, the project depended conversations with staff and key contacts. aims into some specific questions. The of the questions Royal Opera House on me developing relationships with my These partners really got behind the plan was to consult with other young Bridge were asking themselves when I fellow young researchers over the period met with them at the amazing High House of a year, but also enabling the relationship Production Park in early 2014. with ROH Bridge to blossom too. What particularly excited me about The Bridge team were very much working with ROH Bridge was their involved in the process and attended ambition that young people’s voices were workshops and meetings with young reflected as much as possible. They people as much as possible, which really genuinely wanted young people to be helped. Not only did the Programme involved in the decision-making about Manager leading the project get involved what to ask, how to ask it and how to but the communications and events staff share the results – not just to be passive were active contributors too. research participants. Managing Expectations Co-production The greatest challenge was how to answer At The Audience Agency we have some very big questions in what was lots of experience of managing youth essentially a small piece of qualitative engagement and learning programmes research. We were very clear that this was with young people and cultural not a large quantitative study and it was organizations, so it was great to bring important to understand throughout that this experience to the project. Many arts we could never expect to represent all practitioners will be used to the concept young people in the region. of co-production or co-curation, but it Another challenge was the geography brought a whole new set of challenges – covering large and quite rural areas as when it came to undertaking a co- well as major urban areas. However, it was A Saffron Walden Young Ambassador, working towards Gold Arts Award, leads music-making with produced piece of research. The Bridge a big success when I was able to recruit 30 younger pupils ©ROH 2015. Photographed by Nick Strugnell

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2016 Children performing at the FUSED Festival as part The Cultural Education of Thurrock Trailblazer ©ROH 2015. Photographed Challenge by Brian Slater ‘Thurrock Trailblazer really made the senior leadership of the school see the value of the arts in both raising How do you approach delivering cultural entitlement across an million miles away from what we do and entire region? Royal Opera House Bridge took up the challenge, know, it did require a shift in terms of our attainment and recruiting with co-investment from the local education authority, thinking, our approach. We needed to excellent teachers. It is now facilitate, to signpost, to bring lots of embedded within our school participating schools and the Royal Opera House Learning and different cultural providers together and Participation team in Thurrock. The result was Trailblazer – to connect schools with artists and development plan.’ a programme of creative activities across 21 schools that has organizations. Thurrock Primary Teacher As we developed our confidence in sparked a cultural education movement that is now set to flourish. this role it was incredibly helpful to be working closely with the Bridge team. – to facilitate and to deliver – but I think In 2013, Thurrock Council commissioned education movement in Thurrock schools They supported us in some of our we have struck a good balance. Royal Opera House Bridge to produce a that is set to flourish in 2016. As Gabrielle thinking, helped us reflect, evaluate and Royal Opera House has been delivering feasibility report on the concept of Forster-Still, ROH Deputy Head of Learning look at the bigger picture. It was not learning programmes in Thurrock since cultural entitlement for children and and Participation in Thurrock, explains, always easy to reconcile these two 2007 and schools were used to us delivering young people in Thurrock. In 2014, this this challenging collaborative initiative different approaches to cultural learning a very fixed, top down programme. In this report resulted in the development of the proved to be an especially rewarding Thurrock Trailblazer initiative. learning journey for everyone. Royal Opera House Learning and Participation were asked to design and A New Approach deliver a programme of arts and cultural For us the challenge meant designing learning activities that would help, something that could work in the long term but also something that would test  Raise attainment and aspiration for new approaches. The Trailblazer model young people growing up in Thurrock. centres around Cultural Ambassadors –  Enable Thurrock schools to attract and teachers from each school who attend retain teachers. creative inspiration days, work with  Make arts and culture accessible to all cultural providers and incorporate young people growing up in Thurrock. activities back into their own school with our support. This model relies on real In its pilot year, Trailblazer worked buy-in from school leaders in terms of with 21 schools on a co-created staff time and trust, a willingness to programme of cultural visits, learning experiment and share learning from the activities, professional development teachers and, from us, highly responsive and strategy development. The 33 CPD support and management. sessions, seven school visits to the As a Learning and Participation team, Tower of London, six singing workshops, we know how to deliver exciting, diverse two whole class insets, four artist-making and high quality arts projects. With projects, a dance project, five photography Trailblazer, we were given a different role, projects, a drumming project, seven where we had to be the catalyst, we had professional theatre visits and hours of to make things happen but not necessarily Pupils in Thurrock discovering dance with the Thurrock Trailblazer programme classroom activity, sparked a cultural be the ones to do it. While it wasn’t a ©ROH 2015. Photographed by Brian Slater

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2016 Music Hubs: Working Together for SEND Opportunities

Pupils participating in an Aiming Higher performance day at the UK Centre for Carnival Arts with Orchestras Live Photographed Colin Fraser By pooling resources we knew that we could commission a much wider and deeper piece Working together and connecting up can help organizations delivering music well, with considerable share learning openly and effectively. When 11 organizations passion, and could see the way music of research than if we contributed to the primary needs of the were to work alone. are all charged with the same vision and the same goals, young people they work with. Despite there’s a unique opportunity to share practice and also to make knowing very little about music practice in real change happen. Steph Hogger of Festival Bridge shares SEND settings, they felt there could be how Bridge organizations and Music Education Hubs joined learning from SEND delivery which could or complex needs schools? strengthen delivery in mainstream  What does good practice look like and forces to commission research into music-making and SEND. schools. They accepted that they had very how is it measured and described? little evidence to support these  How does the skillful use of assistive Music is an artform that impacts on Our starting point was around the drop assumptions and so a new brief was music technologies provide and support everyone’s lives in some way. The National in school music making at KS3. On behalf written for an organization to undertake access to progressive participatory music Plan for Music Education was published of the Hubs, the Bridges wrote a brief some action research to explore the activities for pupils with SEND? in November 2011 creating a vision where together around the following question: following questions:  What impact should this learning have every child aged 5–18 has the opportunity What are the local reasons for the  Where are young people’s primary on the future delivery of the Music Hubs to sing, learn an instrument and perform reduction in young people’s engagement needs being met through music in SEND four core roles? as part of an ensemble or choir. This is in secondary school music provision? a world where young people’s talent is What would an appropriate infrastructure nurtured with clear opportunities for look like that would help strengthen and listening and performing. Music Education sustain MEHs engagement with secondary Hubs were established to take this vision schools over the long-term? forward – 11 of these are in the East Region. Bedford and Suffolk Music Hubs took With 11 organizations charged with part in shortlisting and interviewing, but similar goals, there seemed to be great during the process we realized that Hubs opportunity to collaborate on something already knew a lot about why young that everyone shared an interest in. Royal people engage less at secondary school Opera House Bridge and Festival Bridge and that they were already responding to joined forces to encourage our Music Hub this. It wasn’t clear how further investigation colleagues to invest time, effort and would add value. Without the active money on a piece of research that would engagement of Hubs in writing the brief, benefit the future planning and practice the Bridge Organizations hadn’t been able for all. By pooling resources we knew that to form the right question. we could commission a much wider and We regrouped, thought again and Hubs deeper piece of research than if we were agreed to take a more active role in this to work alone. We weren’t expecting the second attempt. call to arms which resulted from our The National Plan and the resulting working together. goals for Music Education Hubs aim for access to music for all. However, music Finding the right questions making in SEND settings was something It was challenging to find a theme which Hubs felt had been overlooked. Hubs had all Hubs and Bridges wanted to explore. the assumption that SEND settings were Making and performing music with Drake Music. Photographed by Gary Day

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www.ccskills.org.uk/cep creative and cultural industries. the in experience work gaining while Award Arts and key skills in accreditation to achieve people young support to continue Bridges England, across partners cultural and Colleges Education Working with in partnership Further Skills’ Creative Employment Programme. Cultural and Creative the of component akey of delivery the for responsibility took network Bridge national the 2013, In Creative Employment Programme www.imaginationeast.org.uk 2015. summer across activity with holidays summer the in people young with engagement to libraries central be young people. ImagiNation continues to for people young with co-produced

2016

Ahead for Culture: Championing Cultural Learning in Changing Times

The third annual ROH Bridge conference was held in the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House in June 2015. More than 200 leaders in cultural learning from schools, councils, arts and cultural organizations attended the event.

‘The Royal Opera House was thrilled to bring together so many prominent leaders in arts and cultural learning and to inspire a whole new generation of leaders.’ Ahead for Culture images: Alex Beard CBE Chief Executive ©ROH 2015. Photographed by Sim Cannety-Clarke

45

‘It felt very open and dynamic – lots of buzz and conversation.’ Delegate feedback

‘The conference made me reflect on my own experiences and realise the impact this has had on me. I want to create an impact on others.’ Delegate feedback

‘Fantastically informative and beautifully curated.’ Delegate feedback

47 Let’s Talk

Connect Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Keep the conversation going and stay in Emma Van Nieuwenburgh touch with the ROH Bridge Community [email protected] online or at our other events. Twitter: @ROHBridge Essex and Southend Get email updates: Roxie Curry www.roh.org.uk/bridge [email protected]

Share North Kent Tell us your story, celebrate your success (Dartford, Gravesham, Medway and and share your learning. Be inspired with Swale) the ROH Bridge Spotlight: Michele Gregson www.roh.org.uk/bridge/spotlight [email protected] Send your story to: [email protected] Thurrock Kelly Lean Build [email protected] ROH Bridge Programme Managers are available to help you develop Arts Award your ideas, nurture networks and Gavin Bell provide support. [email protected]

Artsmark Judy Kenney [email protected]