Purpose of the Fund
This Fund supports work which enables pupils in formal education settings, particularly those experiencing systemic inequality or disadvantage, to thrive through engagement with high quality, arts-based learning.
By arts-based learning we mean learning experiences which incorporate arts-based content, and/or use arts-based approaches to secure access to or enhance engagement with the curriculum. Formal education settings may include Early Years, Primary, Secondary, Alternative Provision and Further Education.
What we are looking for
We are particularly interested in applications with a focus on the following areas (not all applications need to include all of these aspects):
- support for pupils who experience systemic disadvantage to access and make progress in their learning
- creating more opportunities for high quality arts-based teaching and learning in education settings, especially in those which have not had this work in the past
- exploring the role of arts-based learning in addressing issues of inclusion, especially racism, in education
- effective practice in digital and blended arts-based teaching and learning
- enabling arts-based learning to be embedded in curricula and practice for the long-term.
Through our learning to date we have identified the following principles of effective practice and partnership which we want to see demonstrated in the work we fund:
- work which responds to specific pupil and / or education setting needs
- approaches which are evidence-based
- work which is co-constructed by arts/cultural organisations and education settings
- work which is high quality in terms of expertise and resources
- commitment to reflection and continuous improvement
- supporting development of the cultural education workforce