Creative Schools Will Expand Initiative For Arts in Schools

Following a successful first phase which saw Creative Schools praised as a sector-leading model for the way schools and cultural institutions can work together, Stratford Circus Arts Centre has successfully applied for funding to continue the programme for a further three years. The new phase will also see an expansion to cover a total of six east London boroughs: Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest and Newham, where Stratford Circus is based.

Creative Schools aims to tackle some of the real-world challenges faced by schools, such as teacher burnout, closing the attainment gap, or meeting OFSTED targets for improvement. It works by brokering bespoke creative projects through a broad network of cultural partners which includes Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning and The William Morris Gallery as well as imaginative cross-curricular organisations like Fixperts, Now>Press>Play and School of Noise. Creative Schools projects are not confined to traditional arts classes but instead boost creativity in other areas of the curriculum or wider school culture - encouraging schools to put arts and culture at the heart of what they do, even in a climate of cuts.

In the initial phase which began in 2015, Creative Schools was the flagship programme for ELCEP, the East London Cultural Education Partnership of which Stratford Circus was a member with The Barbican and leading east London schools, borough partners, and other arts organisations. The aim was to ensure students of all ages and backgrounds could access cultural education, even as schools face budget strains that all too often results in cuts to arts.

Partnerships that have already taken place as part of Creative Schools include a project undertaken by three Newham primary schools and five cultural partners including Fuel, Arcola Theatre, East London Dance, soundSPARK, and Bow Arts. The project set out to improve literacy creatively through workshops which included music, dance, performance, and animation. It culminated in a multi-art-form event co-curated with Poet in the City, which brought the students ideas to life on stage. Creative Schools' school-centred approach has proved particularly popular and has been praised by Arts Council England as a model for collaborations between cultural institutions and schools.

Building on the lessons and successes of the first phase, in the next phase Stratford Circus Arts Centre plans to focus on the core strength: meeting school improvement needs through the arts and using the collaborative approach to unleash teachers' creativity through termly cross-sector training and networking events.

Speaking about creative schools, the following said:

Darren Henley - Chief Executive, Arts Council England "Every child can be creative and the opportunities to realise this potential should be available to all. It's great to see this next phase of Creative Schools launching, bringing together the education and cultural sectors and supporting schools' Artsmark ambitions, to inspire real change in schools across London, building on the experiences that over 5000 East London pupils have already had through this creative programme."

Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons "London has always been home to a wealth of creativity and innovation, and The Creative Schools project is a wonderful example of the power of culture in transforming young people's lives. This project has had a real impact on thousands of the capital's pupils and schools over the past three years, so I'm delighted to see Stratford Circus Arts Centre expanding its work further across east London."

Stratford Circus Arts Centre Director Tania Wilmer said "East London has some of the highest child poverty and lowest arts engagement statistics in the country, Creative Schools is an innovative programme that will see more young people access, and have their school environment enriched by, the arts and culture."

Creative Schools Programme Manager at Stratford Circus, Lucia Yandoli said "Every day at Stratford Circus Arts Centre I am inspired by examples of how arts and cultural education can impact young lives. Creative Schools is about putting schools first and working together to ensure more pupils access those life-enhancing experiences across east London to support learning in all curriculum areas, including in STEM, literacy and more."

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