News – Page 2 – Southampton Cultural Education Partnership

Enjoying the little wins

Creative Mentor JJ gives an insight into the first few weeks working with his mentee.

JJ, actor, theatre maker and young creative, SCEP Creative Mentor Scheme — JJ, actor, theatre maker and young creative, SCEP Creative Mentor

My name is JJ Gale and I am an actor, theatre maker/facilitator and professional wrestler. I have been a part of SCEP’s creative mentoring programme since November 2022.

After months of insightful training last year, I am now working 1-1 with my mentee. It has been an interesting journey so far. I was paired with a young person who has no experience in the arts. However, they have expressed an interest in drama and performing arts.

My first few meetings made it clear that there was going to be some work needed to forge a positive and trusting professional relationship with my young person. They were reserved and cautious. Not wanting to open up or share much information about themselves with me. Initially even having a conversation was a struggle.

This being said as the weeks have gone on, I have found common ground and began work on creating this relationship. I have found the best approach is to always come to sessions with an enthusiastic and positive attitude. Also, I am trying my best to offer as many opportunities to experience and explore performing arts.

We have recently been to see their first ever theatre show. This was a fantastic night. Although anxious and pessimistic before the show. Following the play my mentee highly rated the performance and had a beaming smile across his face. This was extremely rewarding.

My goal throughout this process is to open the door into the possibilities for involvement and interaction with Performing Arts in Southampton for my young person. I believe it’s important to take the time to care enough and support you in the first steps in trying and exploring something new. I hope this develops into more of an interest and passion for the performing arts. However, if this is not the case then at least I have facilitated some new life experiences. I believe that already they are learning new transferable skills. Also, I think it’s great to have a safe space to push yourself out of your comfort zone and I am grateful for the chance to help facilitate that in a small way.

I am learning that I have to be in tune with the young person and where they are in life and this process and allow that to inform my goals and plans going forward in regards to the mentoring programme. I am enjoying the little wins.

The Southampton Cultural Education Partnership’s (SCEP) objective is to develop a cohort of Creative Mentors as local role models in Southampton, who will work directly with and inspire Children and Young People, including those from at risk, marginalised backgrounds or NEET (not in employment education or training).

Big Dreams and Big Impacts at the SCEP Workshop

More than 30 representatives of Southampton’s arts, education, health and police sectors took part in the SCEP (Southampton Cultural Education Partnership) workshop at the John Hansard Gallery on 30 January 2023 to look at how arts and culture could improve the lives of children and young people in the city.

Photographs: Louise Coysh

At the forefront of everyone’s minds was young people; what they want from arts and culture and how to ensure they get it.
SCEP workshop participant

Participants undertook various activities investigating the needs and aspirations of local children and young people before taking part in a group Big Dream Big Impact workshop. The groups were given a hypothetic scenario where an anonymous donor had given £2 million to improve the lives of children and young people using arts and culture, and then discussed ideas to use the money which could be feasibly implemented in the city if funding was available. These included:

A fleet of community arts and education buses which could visit individual communities with community-led activities and then create a centralised festival site showcasing what had been produced in each area.
Increasing the opening hours of existing spaces like libraries to run arts activities and connecting the city with bus passes for every young person.
A social enterprise initiative focused on youth led events and activities with free transport for young people.
‘You Belong Here’ – an arts award hub with go-and-see transport and neighbourhood road shows.
An adolescent crisis lounge with a hub-and-spoke support system.

Key elements were then discussed to see which could be taken forward in the work of the SCEP over the next year including transport and building on past projects, utilising and revitalising community assets, arts linked with additional provision such as health, a focus on places and neighbourhoods and neutral spaces for young people. Some young people attended the event and threading through all the discussion was the need to give young people the power to direct and drive future activity.

I was reminded all over again of the power of a creative act to inspire people to work together and come up with amazing new ideas.
SCEP workshop participant

If you want to learn more about SCEP, become a member, hear about future events, or to join our mailing list, please email us

What can we achieve together for children and young people in Southampton?

Southampton Cultural Education Partnership (SCEP) Workshop Monday 30 January, 4-6pm at John Hansard Gallery, Southampton

Photograph: Nosa Malcolm

Colleagues from across Southampton working with children and young people are warmly invited to take part in an active workshop mapping out the SCEP’s future work answering the question: what can we achieve for all children and young people in Southampton if we work together?

After time for networking, in small groups we will run an imaginary scenario activity asking how we would spend £2 million pounds on children and young people in Southampton, before discussing how we can work together using the ideas we generate to make real change.

This is a chance to come together as a sector, network, have your voice heard and be part of shaping the future of children and young people in the City and the work of the SCEP over 2023. 

To RSVP email us  with your name, job title and organisation.

SCEP supported by

Better Lives Through Culture supported by

SCEP EXPO in Pictures

Cultural practitioners and organisations alongside educators, health workers and youth agencies came together at the John Hansard Gallery on 21 November 2022 for the Southampton Cultural Education Partnership (SCEP) EXPO.

Photographs: Nosa Malcolm

This well-attended event, the first in-person event for over two years, was held to showcase the diverse, cultural education offer of SCEP member organisations available for children and young people across Southampton. It included networking opportunities, a gallery tour, a stunning vocal performance by a student from Redbridge Community School. Sam Cairns, SCEP Transition Manager and Lucy Marder, Artswork presented how Arts Awards and Artsmark can enhance learning for children and different settings.

Louise Coysh, SCEP Interim Lead and Associate Director of Arts and Culture, University of Southampton, said, “The SCEP’s power is connecting people. It was amazing to have our growing community back together again, joined by our Creative Mentors and Cultural Connectors, to share the city’s exciting cultural offers and ambitions for children and young people.”

If you want to learn more about SCEP, become a member, hear about future events, or to join our mailing list, please email us

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: