Updates & Intros: Better Lives Through Culture 

In partnership with Artswork

SCEP Team and Cultural Curriculum Partners

After months of work behind the scenes, the SCEP team is excited to share our progress on the Better Lives Through Culture programme (BLTC) and introduce you to some new and familiar faces joining us.  

Through BLTC, the SCEP sets out to increase the number of children and young people benefiting from cultural education from priority groups in Southampton, through a strengthened cross-sector framework.  

After months of preparation, call-outs and recruitment for partners and creative practitioners from our SCEP community, we’re thrilled to be entering a busy period of delivery. Here we share what we have been up to, behind the scenes, across the programme’s two strands:  

Cultural Curriculum

BLTC’s Cultural Curriculum is powering ahead with four SCEP partners now in place to deliver a co-constructed scheme of work across four different schools across Southampton. 

Southampton-based dance and movement specialist Natalie Watson joins Banister Primary School as they look towards developing their Key Stage 2 (KS2) Geography curriculum. 

ArtfulScribe is partnering up with Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill. Led by writer Susmita Bhattacharya, this project will explore part of the KS3 Art and Design curriculum, and work towards the whole school priority of developing literacy and oracy across the student body.  

Louis Duarte, on behalf of SoCo Music Project, is collaborating with Cantell School, where he will be developing KS4 English curriculum within the school’s Learning to Learn Hub.  

Finally, we welcome new SCEP members Arts2Educate who join the programme, partnering up with Woodlands Community College. Led by Abi Thommes, this partnership will develop use a multi-artform approach to develop the KS3 History curriculum.  

Creative Mentors

10 people gathered together in white room - 6 Creative Mentoring Scheme participants, SCEP Programme Manager and SoCo Music Project trainers.
SCEP Creative Mentors Scheme, Day One, 11 November 2022

The Creative Mentors Scheme sets out to support creative practitioners, training them as mentors to work with and inspire children and young people, and in turn inform and develop Southampton CEP’s practice.  

Thanks to SCEP Members, we receive a large number of high-quality nominations for early career practitioners. Following interviews, we are thrilled to announce our exciting cohort of early career, creatives, reflecting a diverse range of artforms and practices, who began their journey together in November to become Creative Mentors:

  • Aidan, Hightown Studios Manager, SoCo Music Project
  • Amy Spencer, artist
  • Ellen Gillet, visual artist  
  • Issa Loyaan Farrah-Kelly, poet  
  • Jilly Evans, visual arts 
  • JJ Gale, actor, theatre maker and young creative 

SoCo Music Project is leading the training programme, hosted at the John Hansard Gallery, University of Southampton, where the cohort met for the first time. In the first session, they got to know each other through facilitated ice breaker drama games and each person spoke about creatives that inspired them and how these people had influenced their own journey into the art world. The day finished with the Mentors’ contemplating aspirations and active listening games to prepare them for the role as mentor.  

Between now and early 2023, the Creative Mentors will be receiving training on coaching, safeguarding, and trauma informed response training, as well as having their own 1-2-1 sessions. SoCo will also share knowledge about the youth sector within Southampton and how it works.  

Meet the Creative Mentors and find out what inspired them to join

Do you work with children and young people? Do you know a young person who would benefit from having a Creative Mentor? APPLICATIONS FOR REFERRAL PARTNERS & NOMINATIONS OPEN – FIND OUT MORE

 

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