ANNUAL REPORT 2017 – 2018 Community Education Widening Participation Front Cover: London: This is Where I Live artwork by Single Homeless Project, exhibited in an art exchange organised by Café Art ANNUAL REPORT 2017 - 2018 The Mary Ward Centre, 42 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AQ www.marywardcentre.ac.uk CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. PARTNERS 3. THE PROGRAMME 4. PARTNER EVALUATIONS & REPORTS 5. THE LEARNERS 6. LEARNER RECRUITMENT & RETENTION 7. LEARNER ACHIEVEMENT & PROGRESSION 8. LEARNER EVALUATIONS 9. IMPACT OF LEARNING IN THE COMMUNITY 10. CONCLUSIONS APPENDICES 1. ASIA: CHILLIES AND CHRYSANTHEMUMS 2. DIGITAL INCLUSION INTRODUCTION: 2017/18 was another very busy and interesting year, during which we ran 216 courses for 935 learners (2549 enrolments), working in partnership with 45 groups and organisations in Camden, Islington, Westminster, Tower Hamlets and Hackney. We were also delighted that, following an inspection by Ofsted in July 2018, community outreach retained its outstanding grade, which has been held since The year has been one inspired by a range of visual and performing arts with students being offered amazing opportunities to work towards large public events such as Bloomsbury Festival, Sing Out Store Street to a large scale community art installation at the British Museum called Asia: Chillies and Chrysantheums, and inspired by the re- opening, after major refurbishment, of China and South Asia (Room 33), The Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery. Credit to Single Homeless Project for their world tour of two art pieces “This is Where I Live” an exhibition organised by Café Art - an annual exchange of artwork created by marginalised and homeless people; and credit also to the Mary Ward Chorus community choir, for opening the annual Camden Adult and Community Learning celebration event at the British Museum, amongst many other performances throughout the year. Other showcasing included the work of our community choirs and dance groups. The choirs performed at a number of other events including St Anne’s Church in Soho, Breakfast Club in Canary Wharf, Drover’s Centre Age UK Islington, Camden Adult and Community Learning event at the Living Centre in St. Pancras. The dance groups also had many performing opportunities including taking part in a pantomime “Where’s Santa?” in partnership with Third Age Project and Workers’ Educational Association at New Diorama Theatre, Mini Mela at Triton Square and Somerstown Community Sports Centre Showcase event in partnership with Camden Council. The Community Outreach Team took an active part in a number of public events such as the Camden Adult and Community Health and Wellbeing day, Queen Square Fair and the EqualiTeas event at Holborn Library, which has been developed by the UK Parliament as part of its Education and Engagement Service. It is at such events where we network, showcase, deliver workshops and provide programme information, that we can celebrate what we do, whilst sourcing new partnerships and gather new ideas. Also this year, we were invited to take part in the first ever Camden Market Pancake Race. The Community Outreach Team and the Head of Adult and Community Education teamed up to help raise funds for the Mayor of Camden’s chosen charity C4WS – supporting homeless people. We encourage the development of “enrichment” experiences within the Outreach Programme and several groups had opportunities to enhance their learning experiences by visiting places of interest, such as Canaletto & the Art of Venice, at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace. The Ageing Better Camden programme began in July 2015, and we have now completed 3 years of successful delivery meeting all its targets, whilst increasing the number of older people we work with in community outreach. The success of the programme is very much down to the versatility of the tutors and the innovative work of the project workerS to reach some of the most isolated communities. 1 PARTNERS: Over 2017/18 we ran courses and workshops in direct partnership with 45 local groups and organisations. We have partnerships with community centres, drop-in and day care centres, hostels, health projects, housing associations and supported housing projects, advice and resource centres, museums and galleries. Our programme continues to include new and growing work. We have continued to work closely with organisations that support trafficked women, homeless communities and people with early dementia and complex health needs. Our work with people over 60 remains predominant which is, in part, attributed to the Ageing Better Camden project. In addition more than half the partners we work with particularly in the London Borough of Camden, work with older communities. 2017/18 2016/17 2015/16 Partners 45 44 42 Courses (and tasters) 216 216 218 We have introduced several new partners to the Outreach Programme including LGBT Connect, Opening Doors London, Abbey Centre in Westminster, Carer’s Network, Drovers Centre/Islington Age UK, Kingsgate Resource Centre, Kentish Town City Farm, Belsize Library and Swiss Cottage Community Centre. In addition to working with new and existing partners, the Outreach Team spends time following up links and possible partnerships with other groups and organisations with whom we could potentially work to widen participation in adult education. This is an on- going priority whilst we source new learners to engage in the Digital Inclusion project for Ageing Better Camden. We are mindful how much we are working with older communities in Camden and have been exploring new partnerships with organisations who work with other groups in an attempt to balance learning opportunities. Once again, our partnerships have been highly successful and mutually beneficial, through effective working relationships, good communication and the maintenance of regular consultation. With some partnerships we have had deep rooted relations of over 10 years and, as a result, the understanding of each other’s organisation is truly cemented. With other partnerships which are relatively new, such as Drovers Centre and Swiss Cottage Community Centre, we are excited about the prospect of future planning together and responding to the needs of the community. Over half our partner organisations work with older communities and apart from Mildmays they are all based in Camden. This reflects a comment from one older student, when given information about what she could do after her course who said, “There is so much going on in Camden I don’t know what to choose”. The work with older communities now makes up 70% of our learners. This is mainly a result of the contract we have with Ageing Better Camden delivering Digital Inclusion. However, it may also be because there is currently more funding available to support activities and projects working with older people. For example, in Camden there are volunteering and Time Banking programmes for older people, age activity programmes, befriending schemes amongst other activities, courses and workshops, social activities and other community provision such as intergenerational activities. We cannot ignore that people are also living longer, thinking more about their health and wanting to get fitter, or are considering their mental health and see some of our classes 2 as brain gyms. Our partnerships with these groups are constantly improving and developing as we increase our knowledge and understanding of vulnerable communities. It is true to say that we are working with organisations that have a growing number of very elderly and frail clients such as at Millman Street, Wellesley Road care home, Mildmays and St Pancras Community Association. At Millman Street Resource Centre we continue to deliver a weekly singing class where members who have multiple needs, including dementia and physical disabilities have the opportunity to sing, tap, beat and move to songs and music. The course is designed to take into account severe memory loss and profound physical needs by offering repetition, familiar tunes and a safe space to be yourself. What makes this class particularly special is that there are also older participants without the complex needs had by some, who offer their experience, support and commitment to the class. And for them there is an opportunity to learn harmonies and more complex songs. The teacher is very skilful in making this class inclusive, fun and allowing everyone to feel they have an important role to play. West Euston Time Bank at the Canaletto & the Art of Venice exhibition Our partners love the fact that working with Mary Ward Centre offers many other opportunities to their members, e.g. we introduced Third Age Project and West Euston Time Bank to the Royal Collection Trust, Queen’s Gallery to engage in an experience on the Canaletto & the Art of Venice exhibition. Third Age and West Euston Time Bank members were guided around the world's finest group of paintings, drawings and prints by Venice's most famous view-painter Canaletto and then had a unique opportunity to take part in a landscape inspired session for participants to create their own artwork. Since this initial introduction other new opportunities and connections have opened up for Third Age Project and West Euston Time Bank, e.g. with the Royal Parks and also a further new group within the Royal Collection. 3 “Just to say on behalf of all those people who went along today what an inspiring and wonderful day they had! The trip went really well and everyone had a great time. They've said it was different and have never experienced anything like it before. It was a wonderful experience and it brought out the artists in each one of them. They've all done some wonderful drawings which everyone took home- in a Buckingham Palace bag! That was the highlight of their day” Partner, West Euston Time Bank We continue to work with many organisations and groups to support the specific needs of their members and clients, e.g.