On 23rd April 2026, the Southampton Cultural Education Partnership (SCEP) and Southampton Education Forum (SEF) co-presented the 2026 Expo ‘Culture Connects’, generously hosted by Redbridge Community School.
It was a successful event, boasting representatives from eight creative organisations and 50 delegates from across teaching, research, policy and culture, as well as a dynamic dance performance from Redbridge’s students.
It was a pleasure to hear from Emma Godsall (Head of Dance at Redbridge) who emphasised how the arts don’t just improve technical skills, but also, “Build the foundation of a confident human being.” This could not have been demonstrated more perfectly than by the Redbridge students themselves, who captivated their audience with an extract from their recent Dance Live piece.
Partnership in Action
The Expo was a wonderful opportunity for SEF and the SCEP to collaborate, and Kath Page (SCEP Chair, and Head of Southampton and Isle of Wight Music) and Debbie Mackenzie (SEF Chair, and Principal of Compass School) welcomed us. By coming together in this way, both networks can bridge the gap between creative provision and the education system; supporting our aim that access to creativity is available to every young person in Southampton.
Debbie emphasised the importance of combining SEF’s deep understanding of school priorities and classroom realities, with SCEP’s commitment to creativity and the transformative power of the arts. Kath summarised this collaboration well when she said, “We open up new possibilities for learning that neither group could achieve alone.”
Both Chairs were excited about the beginning of their collaboration and Kath emphasised how fantastic it was to see a broad range of backgrounds represented; from volunteers, to consultants, and practitioners.
A City-Wide Commitment to Young People’s Creativity
In the opening speeches, attendees also heard from Donna Tandy (Director of Education, Southampton City Council), who recognised Southampton’s exceptional commitment to providing opportunities for young people.
One attendee wrote that their main takeaway from the event was having the opportunity to connect with Donna, “[it was] great to meet her, and some other local authority workers – sharing partnership possibilities and connecting up.”
Donna, who has only been working for the Council since January, said, “I’ve been really blown away by the connections that are happening across the city. The ways that groups of people are coming together; all the shared ambition for brilliant outcomes for the children and young people of Southampton.” Donna commented on the Southampton’s commitment and drive to do the best for children and young people; leaving us with a reminder that they are who will be inheriting the city, when the time is right.
After spending time with the attendees, it’s easy to agree with Donna; Southampton’s educators and cultural organisations have a clear commitment to providing the best for the city’s children and young people.
Inspiring Belonging, Creativity and Attendance
The theme of the Expo was how culture and creativity can be used to support students emotional, social, mental and physical wellbeing.
Excitingly, Sally Howells (Assistant Headteacher, Compass School) shared her experience with cultural opportunities improving pupil wellbeing – ‘participation over perfection’ – particularly for SEND and neurodivergent students. Sally talked about the collaboration between Compass School and In Focus Education & Development, who delivered photography and arts-based education sessions, and how it helped the young people they engaged with to flourish. Arts and culture are a crucial part of educators moving away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ style of learning and to shift from ‘a curriculum to a culture’.
In Southampton, the SCEP’s diverse membership of cultural organisations is ready to support education settings with this. It was a great reminder to those of us working with young people, that the process is more valuable than the product.
Precious Time to Talk
Whilst the Expo was a wonderful opportunity to hear talks from the professionals about how they’ve used culture and the arts to connect with young people, it was also an invaluable opportunity for teachers and educators to network with creative organisations, sparking opportunities for new collaborations. As Kath Page said, “Today is about connection, between ideas, between disciplines, and most importantly, between people who care deeply about the future of learning.”
We’re excited to be connecting cultural experts with educators and influencing the education of Southampton’s young. One attendee noticed the educators’ passion for supervising young learners in the creative arts; it’s encouraging to know the future of the city is being guided by the right people!
Upcoming Events
On Wednesday 6 May 2026, the SCEP will be attending Your Future: Careers Fair at the O2 Guildhall, and we look forward to meeting students and parents to inspire them to explore creative careers.