A group of laughing preschool children listen to a man reading them a story

Current Aims & Objectives

“25 things to do by 25”

Our culture is our past, present and future. Key to preserving and celebrating our culture are the things we do and the experiences we share. This challenge focuses on local issues and provides a manifesto for parents and adults who have responsibility for young people. This means all of us – those who work in health and social care, education, volunteers, public/private sector organisations and community groups.

Engaging with cultural activities enriches the lives of the people living in our area, leads to better health and wellbeing and ultimately makes our communities stronger. With 66% of jobs in our region involved in cultural and creative industries we cannot afford to let our young people bypass the experiences that could lead to future prosperity as well as enabling them to grow into positive human beings.

As partners in the Cultural Education Challenge we are proud of our past and are committed to forging our future through promoting cultural activity. We will work together to provide opportunities for our young people and have identified “25 things to do by 25”.  These are activities that all of our children and young people should experience regardless of gender, cultural heritage, race, disability or wealth.

Things to do by 25 arts and culture logo
Dudley Cultural Education Partnership logo

Current Activities

The list of identified “25 things to do by 25” was officially launched in 2019.

There is no simple definition of culture – the scope is endless. This challenge focuses heavily on the arts and the physical assets of our area. We do not believe that this is an exhaustive list of activities that will produce a rounded human being and this should be viewed in conjunction with strategies from business, humanities, languages, sciences and sports.

The partnership equally values cultural contributions from all sectors of our community.  We anticipate that each person’s 25 things will be unique and reflective of our culturally rich society.

Watch our 25 by 25 film here.

Download our 25 by 25 flyer here. 

Organisations that are currently part of the CEP

CEP Members

  • Arts Connect
  • Black Country Arts Council
  • Black Country Living Museum
  • Black Country Radio
  • Creative Black Country
  • Creative Health CIC
  • Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust
  • Dudley College
  • Dudley Libraries and Archives
  • Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
  • Dudley Museums
  • Dudley Performing Arts
  • Dudley Youth Services
  • Dudley Zoo