I was thrilled to be part of the first cohort of the innovative Creative Digital Leadership Programme (CDLP) in November 2020, created by the always excellent Arts Connect. On reflection, the course could not be more perfectly timed. As Creative Learning Producer at the Midland Arts Centre (MAC), I oversee a large informal learning programme,…
Birmingham is home to one of three Youth Opera companies led by Welsh National Opera. During lockdown, we were delighted that youth opera members from South Wales, North Wales and Birmingham have continued to meet with us, virtually, learning new ways of working via digital technology, gaining skills in performing and recording themselves from home.…
The murder of George Floyd has felt like a singular beacon, lighting a flame under white people and their awareness of white privilege. As a result, the Black Lives Matter movement has been reignited on the global stage and for the first time in my lifetime it has extended beyond my social media echo chamber…
During the summer term, I’m running the Arts Award ‘Discover at Home’ online programme for Coventry Music. As a music service, we’ve had to find innovative ways of keeping our children and young people accessing creative opportunities when our ensembles can’t meet, and many pupils haven’t been in school; we’ve delivered online instrumental lessons and…
There are certain things in life that have an impact on all of us. Such as the death of Princess Diana, the destruction of the twin towers on 9/11 and of course Covid-19. These are the sorts of things that, if we ever have grandchildren, we’ll probably sit them on our knee and say: “I…
I joined the Birmingham Cultural Education Partnership – known as Birmingham Creates – as Development Coordinator at the end of January 2020. I managed two meetings in person with the CEP’s Steering Group – then we went into lockdown. Taking on the role of Development Coordinator at a time of such great change and upheaval…
The extent of inequalities has been amplified during this crisis and as said elsewhere ‘We are all in the same storm but not the same boat’. Our response to the stark ‘materials divide’, that is lack of basic resources in home, is to organise the delivery of packs of art materials to 4,000 vulnerable children…
For the past three years, Birmingham-based Theatre in Education Company Big Brum has been gathering evidence of the impact of its work on young people and schools. This evidence, from both primary and secondary schools, is presented in the form of three written reports and a short film, and makes a powerful case for Theatre…
This is a hugely challenging time for schools and both the Artsmark Team and the Arts Connect Team want you to know that we are here to help you if you need it. In early April the Artsmark Team at Arts Council England closed the programme to new registrations owing to the uncertainty of the…
