CapeUK's ‘Early Years Creative Cookbook’ in partnership with Earlyarts and Calderdale Council’s Early Years Team, will inspire early years settings, professionals and practitioners across the country to engage in similar creative approaches. This is a free, practical, resource, to inspire early years teachers and staff, supporting them with planning, engaging artists and other external partners in creative learning activities. This publication brings together ‘recipes’ of creative development, drawn from a project instigated by Early Years Learning Consultants for Calderdale involving artists, children and staff from across six early years settings who worked with national organisations CapeUK and Earlyarts.

Each ‘recipe’ explores a different way of creative learning, with a different enquiry question in mind each time. For example, Ash Green Children’s Centre wanted to find a way to empower families to take an active role in children’s learning. Operating in an extremely deprived area, they wanted to help create an environment where children are encouraged to learn, and believed parents to be crucial in this.  Their enquiry question was, “How can we empower our families to take an active role in our children’s learning?” The aim was to use drumming and drum circle techniques to build confidence, self-esteem and relationship building skills.  The project was shown to have a positive effect on children and parents, with increased confidence and self-esteem, as well as parents claiming the sessions allowed them to relax and gave them more confidence. The sessions have also improved relationships between parents and staff.

The ‘recipes’ are divided into sections, making them easy to re-create or adapt, as well as explaining the results for both the children and the adults involved. The “top tips” section outlines experiences, and adds some reflective tips on how the project could be improved. Each ‘recipe’ ends with an explanation of the lasting effects on the early years settings and those involved, as well as any plans for the future they may have.

Madeleine Irwin, Creative Director, CapeUK says; “We believe this resource explores creative development – learning about the opportunities to nurture children’s creativity within early years pedagogy. The resource effectively demonstrates how these projects supported; personal, social and emotional development, physical development, communication and language, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.

“CapeUK is dedicated and committed to supporting leaders of creative education, both regionally and nationally, we will continue to innovate, advocate and implement creative education to ensure young people have the skills and creative capacities to face the future.”

CapeUK’s ‘Early Years Creative Cookbook’ is available free on their website here

An earlier resource, ‘One Small Step for Early Years, One Giant Leap for Children’ contains more creative enquiry projects, and can also be found free on the website here

For other CapeUK resources, click here

The ‘Shadows of the City’ project took place at Ripon Evolve, a centre for young people aged 16 to 19 who are not in education, training or employment.  Engaging in a variety of activities, volunteering, community projects and skills, they work towards personalised programmes, which include qualifications that suit their individual needs.

In December 2012, 12 young people passed their Bronze Arts Award, with support from their Adviser Bev Skaife.  Each young person was encouraged to select an art form unique to them, motivating them whilst developing their confidence, self esteem, and transferable skills.  Also, the young people were encouraged to participate in a group event, developing their ability to work with others.

CapeUK is responsible for the strategic development and advocacy of the Arts Award in the Yorkshire, Humber and North/North East Lincolnshire regions (in partnership with the Arts Council and Trinity College London).

One of the major activities the young people took part in was a sellotape sculpture project.  They took it in turns to fully sellotape each other, cut the sellotape off and then re-stick it to create translucent, life size figures.  They then did this to other objects and began forming different poses with the sculptures.   The sculptures were used for a week of candle lit visits to Ripon Museum called ‘Shadows of the City’.  The sculptures were placed into different cells and areas of the museum to reflect the fragile nature of the workhouse inmates, as well as providing a beautiful and haunting visual impact for visitors to the museum.

The young people who took part were at different levels of ability and stages of the process. They were taught in a classroom session on a weekly basis, with opportunities to work on individual projects outside of the classroom, and with specialist artists in their chosen fields.  The Adviser found this complex and challenging to orchestrate, but felt that the rewards of their individual achievements outweighed these challenges.  The young people attended a variety of events in the area. Some students delivered lessons to their peers, while others worked in small groups, to pass on the skills they had learned. Additionally, the young people involved in the ‘Shadows of the City’ event gained an opportunity to work with older members of the community, who were volunteering at the workhouse museum.  They also had an opportunity to show their work to primary and secondary school students who attended on education visits. This project has forged further links with all members of the local community and has been a major success in relation to community cohesion.

“I really enjoyed doing Arts Award.  I developed my creative writing so I feel more confident in my art form.  The moderation process didn’t make me feel uncomfortable, and it gave me good ideas for Silver, and I received really good feedback that helped me creatively.” Beccy, 17, Ripon Evolve Student

“Arts Award was a real eye opener to the creative side of education.  We had 4 stages to complete. I made a 20 minute lesson on how to make a piece of music.  It was a production lesson.  It was so productive and enjoyable that it inspired me to go on to do music production at Leeds college of Music. Overall it was a great experience and I’m glad that I did it.” Shane, 18, Ripon Evolve Student

“The Award In The Arts allows young people to explore and demonstrate their creativity in ways that they had previously thought impossible.  It is a fabulous way to engage and motivate young people to develop their skills in a positive and exciting manner.”  Bev Skaife, Ripon Evolve Arts Adviser

“What an interesting group of young people all following their own art form.  There is some excellent work there. It is very creative and there is good use of communication skills using both photos and DVDs.  Fantastic sellotape bodies. The work also engages the young people with the community especially as these young people have often been so disaffected at school. ” Susie Barrett, Arts Moderator

For more information about this project please visit www.riponevolve.co.uk 
Yorkshire Post Article http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/youngsters_show_off_their_first_impressions_of_workhouse_life_1_3897769

For more information about Arts Award, click here

This report was produced for Arts Council England as part of an R&D project on strategic commissioning funded by Arts Council England. It was initially conceived as a project report for the Arts Council, but has been re produced as it contains information of relevance to other Arts Council regions, commissioners and policy makers.

Please click here to see the Prezi – A speedy introduction to strategic commissioning

Click here to see the report in full

Press Release: 10 January 2012

Students of the world’s first Social Enterprise Qualification (SEQ) will be addressing social and environmental issues in our local communities from January 2012. CapeUK will be training schools, youth workers and also adult training providers across Yorkshire and Humber, to deliver the Social Enterprise Qualification (SEQ). The SEQ students will set up businesses that directly address, or generate income to relieve, social and environmental issues that affect our communities.

Social Enterprises are businesses set up to tackle environmental or social issues. From charity auctions to fair trade companies, there are thousands of Social Enterprises in the UK working to make people’s lives better, and tackle environmental problems.

Through taking part in Social Enterprise Qualification (SEQ), young people gain real experience of making money, organising events and building management skills, all the time considering how what they do can make a real difference to the communities around them. Similarly, adults taking part in SEQ can set up businesses stimulating the local economy, whilst making postive social or environmental change.

Ginny Scholey from CapeUK, SEQ Training Provider says, “We are delighted to be the first organisation in our region offering training to schools, youth groups and adult training providers to deliver SEQ in their setting. SEQ is a way for people to be recognised for the socially entrepreneurial activity many of them are already engaged in, and also to develop a new generation of social entreprenuers.”

“CapeUK are commitment to social enterprise principals, operating in a way that creates positive social change, we do this through leading and partnering with programmes that priorities the right for every child and young person to experience and develop their own channels for creativity (be it through the arts and/or social engagement) which will lead them into being proactive young adults in the future.”

SEQ can be taken at Bronze and Silver levels, which are a level 2 award and certificate respectivley on the the Qualifications Credit Framework. SEQ will challenge students to demonstrate they understand what social enterprise and ethical trading are about, enabling them to develop real new products or services within their school, community or wider marketplace.
 

SEQ offers a recognisable benchmark backed and informed by successful Social Enterprises so that students can directly learn the skills that potential employers are looking for.
 

Further training opportunities will be available across the region.  For more information please call CapeUK on 0845 450 3700, or visit: http://www.capeuk.org/current-work/programmes/social-enterprise-qualification

COMING SOON: In March 2012, CapeUK will be hosting a Yorkshire Social Enterprise Qualification (SEQ) Conference - more details will be on our website shortly, in the meantime if you would like to register your interest please e-mail dan@capeuk.org

Mentor Training Dates 2012 - 23rd February, 10am - 5pm, Meanwood Farm, Leeds or 26th March, 10am – 5pm, Priory Street Centre, York - The course costs £150+VAT, please check the Mentor spec before you apply (all info on this webpage: http://seq.realideas.org/buy-seq/book-seq-mentor-training)

———————Ends————————
 

Notes to Editors
For more information please contact Jo Jessop, Communications Manager, CapeUK on 0845 450 3700 or jo.jessop@capeuk.org

Social Enterprise Qualification: Real Ideas Organisation has developed a new Social Enterprise Qualification (SEQ) to accredit and encourage people working for positive social change. To achieve the qualification, learners will demonstrate they understand what social enterprise and ethical trading are about, and will develop real new products or services within their school, community or wider marketplace. The qualification will be offered at bronze, silver and silver top-up, linked to the Qualifications Credit Framework in the UK. This structure may need adapting for other countries. www.realideas.org/socialenterprisequalification.
 

The Real Ideas Organisation works with communities and young people to make real change happen through social enterprise. It offers services and products to schools, local authorities, government departments and national partners which create real and lasting improvement. www.realideas.org
 

CapeUK is the local SEQ Training Provider delivering training to schools, youth group and adult training providers so that they can in turn deliver the Social Enterprise Qualification with students. CapeUK also works to improve the lives of children and young people, putting creativity at the centre of learning and development. Working with schools, youth and community organisations, universities, the cultural and creative sector and other agencies, CapeUK offers a range of programmes exploring and promoting creativity, learning and development.
 

 Download

 Free download of:The Framework for the National Curriculum – A report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review PDFDocument

  The report focuses in particular on a number of recommendations, some of which have the potential to result in  radical change to the National Curriculum, beyond change to curriculum content.
 

  It is hoped that the report will help to generate public discussion and constructive contributions to the Department’s review of the National Curriculum over the weeks and months to come.

It includes:
• Knowledge, Development and the Curriculum
• Aims and Purposes of the Curriculum
• The Structure of the School Curriculum (for primary and secondary)
• Subjects in the Curriculum through the Key Stages of Schooling
• The Structure of Key Stages
• The Organisation of Programmes of Study
• The Form of Programmes of Study and Attainment Targets
• Assessment, Reporting, and Pupil Progression
• Oral Language and its Development within the National Curriculum
• Risks
• Conclusions
• Annexes
 

CapeUK's ‘Early Years Creative Cookbook’ in partnership with Earlyarts and Calderdale Council’s Early Years Team; will inspire early years settings, professionals and practitioners across the country to engage in similar creative approaches. This is a practical resource is divided into sections to help follow the ‘recipe’ process. A short introduction, key ingredients gives a flavour of the activity, secret ingredients to help pick out some of the magic touches unique to that project, the method, the results, top tips and the proof of the pudding showing how the settings are digesting their projects for the future.
 
Madeleine Irwin, Creative Director, CapeUK says; “We believe this resource explores creative development – learning about the opportunities to nurture children’s creativity within early years pedagogy. The resource effectively demonstrates how these projects supported; personal social and emotional development, physical development, communication and language, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design. CapeUK is dedicated and committed to supporting leaders of creative education, both regionally and nationally, we will continue to innovate, advocate and implement creative education to ensure young people have the skills and creative capacities to face the future.”

For more information please contact; Charlotte Scott 0845 450 3700 or Jo Jessop, Communications Manager jo.jessop@capeuk.org
Photo Opportunity: The launch event is on Thursday 15 December from 6:30 – 7:30pm at Heath Training Centre, Free School Lane, Halifax – if you would like to attend please contact jo.jessop@capeuk.org

CapeUK, a strong, enterprising and creative organisation – our mission is to prepare children to face the future with creativity and self-belief. We believe creativity is a core human capacity which can be developed and nurtured.  ‘Creative Partnerships’ which was managed across Yorkshire by CapeUK, working with thousands of schools between 2008-2011.
 

 The next  Arts Learning Consortium Networked Learning Event takes place on Thursday 19^th January 2012, 12:15-4pm, at a North West venue TBC.

Lizzie Crump from the renowned Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA) is joining us to give an update on national policy and practice. She will also be sharing some of the CLA’s tips for success when it comes to advocacy of the arts and culture in the fight to keep cultural learning central to the lives of children and young people.

 This pertinent and timely theme will generate lots of useful ideas both at an individual and an organisational level during this current cultural cold climate. It will also help to shape your new-look ALC and its new campaigning role across the North West. 

Also included is a useful link to the Cultural Learning Alliance for background reading, including the brilliant resource ImagineNation: A Case for Cultural Learning.

You can book either via the online booking form here or by calling 0161 237 9590 before Thursday 12^th January.

Please share this event with your contacts, using our new share tool at the top of this page.

ALC members are entitled to 2 free places at this event. 

New special rate for students is £10

Non-members £50.

 For more information please contact Aziza Mills T: 0161 237 9590 or E:  Aziza.mills@capeuk.org

www.artslearningconsortium.org.uk

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