New appointments to deliver SCEP Better Lives Through Culture programme

New SCEP team members: Jodie Sadler on the left is a white woman with red hair and Frankie McCormick on the right has brown hair and glasses. They are both smiling and standing in front on photograph of children playing musical instruments.
Jodie Sadler, Programme Manager (left) and Frankie McCormick, Creative Programmer (right) join the SCEP team

We are excited to announce two new appointments to Southampton Cultural Education Partnership (SCEP) team. Jodie Sadler as Programme Manager and Frankie McCormick as Creative Programmer will deliver our ambitious Better Lives Through Culture programme.

Our Better Lives Through Culture (BLTC) programme, in partnership with Artswork, will be a step-change for the Southampton Cultural Education Partnership (SCEP). With Southampton accepted onto the UNICEF Child Friendly programme, and the Southampton UK City of Culture 2025 Bid uniting communities, this really is our time. 

Together, Jodie and Frankie will drive the BLTC programme forward, enabling the SCEP to galvanise cross-sector expertise to ensure children and young people that are at risk, disadvantaged, marginalised, not in education, employment or training (NEET) benefit from cultural education.

Children and young people will co-design and create a Creative Curriculum for Southampton, in collaboration with practitioners and teachers, and in alignment with Southampton City Council’s Future Work framework which prioritises levelling up, skills development and social capital. The work will harness Youth Voice and the ingenuity of the city’s communities, insights and practice, to root and feed creative connections to place.

Creative Mentoring activity will build strategic capabilities in Southampton for emerging creatives and artists, organisations, children and young people along with Arts Award delivery, Digital Badging and Artsmark Partnerships. 

Louise Coysh, Interim Lead, Southampton Cultural Education Partnership and Associate Director, Arts & Culture at University of Southampton, said:  “We are thrilled to welcome Jodie and Frankie to the team and our growing SCEP community. They each bring a wealth of experience and expertise, that will ensure Better Lives Through Culture positively impacts the lives of children in Southampton. This is an exciting moment for our City, with Southampton’s shared ambitions for children and young people clearly stated in the UNICEF Child Friendly City commitment and UK City of Culture 2025 Bid.”

Frankie, McCormick, Creative Programmer, said: “I am incredibly excited to be joining the SCEP as Creative Programmer. Having recently moved to Southampton, I have been hit by its vibrancy and feel so fortunate play a part in supporting the next generation of creative leaders to continue the legacy of this wonderful city.”

Jodie Sadler, Programme Manager, said: “Southampton has a broad and rich cultural offering, I am energised to work on with the Southampton Cultural Education Partnership to further the access to this wealth of creativity and support the next generation of creatives to see what is possible when it comes to creative futures.”

Jodie and Frankie will begin their roles in June and look forward to meeting and working our SCEP members, stakeholders, partners and most importantly children and young people over the coming months.

Frankie McCormick has recently moved to Southampton from Liverpool, where she has managed multiple large scale arts programmes with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, ranging from higher education partnerships to Music and Mental Health programmes in partnership with NHS trusts. Frankie has spent the past three years managing Liverpool’s biggest musical talent development programme, Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company, and has worked with communities from across Liverpool to give young musicians world-class opportunities for music making. Frankie is a clarinetist and composer specialising in Klezmer and Balkan music, and has worked with highly acclaimed ensembles from symphony orchestras and choirs to community focused chamber groups.

Jodie Sadler joins us from working at a local authority in Wokingham where she developed a Cultural Strategy as Arts and Culture Development Officer. Previously she has worked as a Senior Project Manager for a multi-disciplinary national arts charity supporting vulnerable groups access the arts to improve confidence, teamwork, artistic skills, reduce isolation and enhance well-being. Jodie has worked within the community outreach and education departments of Dulwich Picture Gallery and The National Portrait Gallery. Before this Jodie set up a creative programme whilst working as an administrator in a mental ill health hostel in Westminster, where she worked with residents to co-design an arts showcase called Challenging Stigmas. Jodie studied Fine Art Sculpture at Loughborough University.

Transition Programme Manager appointed

Image courtesy Connecting Culture project. Credit: Xavier Fiddes.

Sam Cairns Associates has been appointed to manage the Southampton Cultural Education Partnership (SCEP) Transition Programme. Sam is Co-Director of the Cultural Learning Alliance and is an active member of Hampshire CEP. Sam is expertly placed to support SCEP on its Transition journey.  

The Transition investment, in partnership with Artswork, will enable the SCEP to implement a process of structural change to ensure that the partnership embeds the voice of children and young people in its work, has sustainable cross-sector engagement and strengthens its capacity. It will ensure SCEP members are better placed to collectively and successfully respond to future opportunities through increased targeting and awareness of what members can offer. The programme will evolve the leadership and governance of the SCEP and enhance its resilience and long term future in delivering a Strategic Action Plan for cultural education in Southampton, in alignment with local priorities. 

Visit our Transition page to see the programme outline.

Continue reading Transition Programme Manager appointed

SCEP SPOTLIGHT: Liam Gifford and The Nuffield Collective

By Paige Michel-Strachan

In our next SCEP SPOTLIGHT post, we’re profiling SCEP member Liam Gifford and his work with The Nuffield Collective. Our SCEP SPOTLIGHT series sheds light on the diverse membership of the Southampton Cultural Education Partnership (SCEP) and the brilliant work they do.

Liam Gifford is a theatre-maker, qualified teacher and engagement professional who specialises in leading community projects and directing plays with and for theatre-makers of all ages and backgrounds at all levels. He studied at Dartington College of Arts where he gained an honours degree in Theatre, and then later achieved a PGCE qualification in Drama at Aberystwyth University. Now, Liam plays an important role in leading and mentoring The Nuffield Collective.

Continue reading SCEP SPOTLIGHT: Liam Gifford and The Nuffield Collective

£130,000 Game-changing Local Partnership Investment

StreetArt! Children’s Public Art, commissioned by John Hansard Gallery, Southampton City Council and Go! Southampton

Announcement: Better Lives Through Culture Investment for Southampton, 10 March 2021

  • Set to benefit 100s of children and young people directly, with aims to benefit 1000s through change-making ripple effect
  • Co-created programme for children and young people with children and young people 
  • Bigger than its parts, connecting across the city to create real impact for children and young people. 

Southampton Cultural Education Partnership has been awarded its first large-scale investment of over £130K by Artswork to support an ambitious two-year programme set to directly benefit hundreds of children and young people across the City. 

Continue reading £130,000 Game-changing Local Partnership Investment