Curious Minds

1. We enable schools to become more creative, culturally rich and effective

• We contribute to school improvement and the development of improved educational and social outcomes for children and young people, putting their views at the heart of decisions that affect them.
• Creative Partnerships is the largest area of work in which we are involved. Operating with a budget of over 2 million pounds each year from Creativity, Culture and Education, we deliver long term change programmes in over 150 schools in the North West, helping schools put creativity at the heart of teaching and learning across the curriculum.
• Curious Minds also develops tailor made programmes to address the needs of individual schools. Programmes can be related to any aspect of curriculum development or other thematic issues.

For examples view our case studies here

2. We enable children and young people to engage actively in culture

• We contribute to the development of a universal cultural offer for children and young people, working with local authorities and others to improve programme delivery and ensure that all children and young people engage meaningfully with culture.
• Curious Minds is a strategic partner in the Find Your Talent programme (FYT). We work with pathfinder (Liverpool City Region and Bolton) and non-pathfinder areas to improve programme delivery and development and work with others to ensure all children and young people engage meaningfully with a universal cultural offer.
• We deliver training events which help partners develop a more meaningful, relevant and contemporary cultural offer for children and young people and we collaborate actively within a regional network of local authorities and cultural partners who are sharing learning and knowledge.

For examples go to Find your Talent and the Cultural Offer

Curious Minds works with local authorities in the North West to develop the Find Your Talent programme. We are a key partner in the Liverpool City Region and the Bolton pathfinder programmes. We also work in partnership with a number of other North West local authorities to support the development of a rich cultural offer for children and young people and aim to assist the development of networks which support this ambition. In Lancashire we are delivering a cultural offer pilot programme which is exploring how secondary schools can develop as cultural hubs and ensure that all their students have access to high quality cultural experiences.

In Lancashire we are currently delivering a cultural offer pilot programme which is exploring how secondary schools can develop as cultural hubs and ensure that all their students have access to high quality cultural experiences – more to come soon

3. We enable partners to engage children and young people as active learners and citizens

• We promote models for engaging more effectively with children and young people, meaningfully consulting them about their views while developing their leadership and decision making skills.
• The Creative Partnerships programme is characterised by seeing children and young people as co-constructors of learning. Pupil voice and the development of leadership and decision-making skills are key aspects of the programme.
• Curious Minds develops a range of other programmes designed to engage meaningfully with young people’s views and ideas and provide opportunities for the development of their role as active citizens.

For examples go to Big Art Project and Curious Project 6

4. We enable the development of creativity in individuals and organisations

• All our programmes and projects are designed to develop people’s creativity as an integral element of the structure of each initiative. We also offer one-to-one and group coaching and action learning sessions, and deliver a range of bespoke training courses on improving creativity at an individual or organisational level.
• The development of children and young people's creativity is a core element of Creative Partnerships. And all our other programmes and projects are designed to develop people’s creativity as an integral element of the structure of each initiative.
• We offer one-to-one and group coaching and action learning sessions and deliver a range of bespoke training courses on improving creativity at an individual or organisational level.
• Developing an improved understanding of the relationship between creativity and collaboration and how collaborative practice can be improved through creative approaches, is at the core of all our work.

For examples go to our case studies

5. We enable the development of improved collaborative practice, between individuals and across organisations, within and beyond projects

• All programmes and projects delivered by Curious Minds are built around the principles of creative collaboration. Programme partners are encouraged to constantly reflect on how to improve the collaborative process creatively.
• We train creative practitioners and other programme partners in the skills necessary for high quality project delivery and effective collaboration within projects and initiatives. Our model for practice is centred on a competency framework.
• We model collaborative practice throughout our work and actively participate in learning networks which contribute to the development of thinking and practice. We contribute freely and generously while learning all the while from others.

For examples go to Curious Minds practitioner competency framework currently being revised

6. We enable in-depth evaluation of programmes and projects using creative methods

• Building on our experience of designing nationally agreed evaluation strategies; we develop tailor-made training programmes for organisations that wish to improve their practice in evaluation. We also undertake commissions to evaluate projects and programmes in which we are not involved as delivery partners.
• All Curious Minds programmes and projects are evaluated thoroughly using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods. We encourage all partners to generate a culture of continuous improvement through reflective practice.
• We also take on commissions to evaluate projects and programmes in which we are not involved as delivery partners.
• Building on our experience of designing nationally agreed evaluation strategies; we develop tailor-made training programmes for organisations that wish to improve their practice in evaluation.
• Our approach to evaluation is highly collaborative, usually involving a comparison of the views of young people, and project partners.
• We continuously evaluate the impact of the collaborative practice we are engaged with.

For examples view our case studies

7. We enable people to develop and share knowledge creatively

• We provide training on developing creative approaches to knowledge development and transfer. We participate actively in a number of networks designed to share knowledge and work with others to improve mechanisms for developing and transferring knowledge creatively.
• All our programmes have effective knowledge development and transfer mechanisms integrated into their structure and we constantly strive to improve these core processes.
• We provide training to other organisations on developing creative approaches to knowledge transfer.
• We participate actively in a number of networks designed to share knowledge and work with others to improve mechanisms for transferring knowledge creatively.