Curious Minds

The North West's Cultural Sector Looks Positively to the Future

On the 19 October in Manchester on the eve of the (CSR) Comprehensive Spending Review, Curious Minds brought together key stakeholders from the cultural and education sectors in the North West, from Cumbria to Cheshire, to build a shared vision for vocational learning within the cultural sector.  The group explored their understanding of vocational learning, established how close they were to offering excellence, and found ways to improve the regional offer.  There were two ground rules: to focus on vocational learning and to avoid dwelling too heavily on what might emerge from the CSR announcement the following day.

 

We must work together in collaboration no matter how difficult that may be.  We need to be needs based and focussed" – Chris May, Chief Executive Curious Minds

 

The day opened with presentations from Chris May, Bryony Bell and Chris Finn from Curious Minds.  They outlined the importance of collaboration, shared the background and aims of Culture and Achievement North West consortium, and presented the case for holding this conversation in advance of governmental announcements; taking advantage of 'the calm between two storms.'

The first group discussion asked what a great cultural learning offer should consist of within the cultural sector.  What appeared was a balance of the practical and the ideal.  Above all, the group recognised the need to present the economic case for culture and vocational learning, to respond in kind to national priorities and to engage with business, develop entrepreneurship and build employability.  On the other hand, they emphasised the need to create an individualised yet inclusive  offer built on the demands of learners and the capacity of the sector; to ensure that any expectations raised were carefully managed and did not promise too much to participants, nor ask too much of already stretched organisations.

Next, the group agreed that the sector was about half way down the road to the ideal vocational learning offer outlined above.  Three breakout groups then discussed the question 'how did we get to where we are now?' focussing for the moment on the positives. On reflection the responses seem to be shared between ‘approaches and attitudes’ and ‘physical resources & evidence’ which have been utilised or produced to lead the sector to its current position. 

Attitudes & Approaches centre on: effort, belief, positivity, creativity, learning, progressing and adapting, collaboration, being proactive.

Physical Resources & Evidence centre on: initiatives, partnerships, collaborations & consortia, people and advocates, strategy and structures, case studies and results of high quality work.

In the final round of discussions the group looked at how, as a consortium, they could improve the region's vocational learning offer. They identified the resources and expertise they needed to focus on, the weaknesses which should be addressed and the strengths which can be maximised.

Across all discussion groups the main themes that appeared were:

• sharing our knowledge and making that into an open shared resource
• building and tapping into the partnerships we have and sharing knowledge of the forums and networks we already use
• presenting a positive attitude
• advocating for the sector as a whole in the North West
• and building CPD (continuous professional development) into our strategic planning for young people and staff.

One of the main themes that came from all the discussions is that working as a consortium, working together, advocating as one, it can only make the North West youth arts and vocational learning sector stronger and better positioned to face the obstacles that we all may come up against in what may be a difficult 12 months.

Boulders may be scattered across the shoreline but gather together the pebbles of many colours and size and they will tower above those obstacles –

One of the comments from the day.

Chris May closed the meeting with a summary of the key points arising from the day's discussion, and by inviting delegates to suggest what the group should be doing, who else should be invited to join it and what its key focus should be.  It was agreed that a second meeting would be held in December with an agenda to be agreed collaboratively by forum members through online discussion as the wider economic picture emerges over the next six weeks.

To read the full notes of the day’s session and who was present please download the document below:

Culture and Achievement North West Summary and Discussion Notes