We have a range of events coming up across the Bedford region for education colleagues, whether governors, teachers or anyone working on education. Here follows a brief overview of theses events and details of how to book.

Art & Cultural Lead Governor Training event
28th March 2019, 6:30 – 7.30
Borough Hall, Cauldwell St, Bedford. MK42 9AP

Governors with an interest in Cultural Engagement are invited to join cultural education broker Kayte Judge on the 28th March 2019 to explore the ways in which the education and cultural sectors can support each other. She will share three case studies of schools who have worked deeply with the cultural sector to meet school improvement needs, provide information about current opportunities to engage with the cultural sector and present a Governor Questionnaire for you to undertake with your school. There will be ample opportunity for discussion.

All interested governors are welcome for Bedford Borough Schools, particularly those whose schools are taking part in the BACE twinning project, namely, Wootton Lower School, Mark Rutherford Upper School, Sharnbrook Upper School, Putnoe Primary School, Goldington Green Primary School, Scott Primary School, St John Rigby School, and The Grange.

Kayte works at local arts charity Bedford Creative Arts and founded The Culture Challenge www.culturechallenge.co.uk in response to the local need for schools to see which creative and cultural organisations were available locally to work with schools. She is currently working with BACE, the Bedford Arts and Cultural Education Group, to run a twinning project to ‘twin’ cultural organisations with schools, which includes cash for schools to commission creative and cultural activity. Part of this project involves the aim to ‘cross pollinate’ the governing structures of both cultural organisations and schools, as this provides a powerful way for the sectors to engage and align with one another.

To book your place please email Julia Newman on governorstraining@bedford.gov.uk

Bedford Creative Arts, The Culture Challenge, BACE and The Royal Opera House Bridge: The Bedford Arts and Cultural Education Network for Schools
The Spring and Summer network events are at the following dates and times:

• 1st May 2019, 4.15 – 5.45, Putnoe Primary School, Church Ln, Bedford MK41 0DH
• 18th June 2019, 4.15 – 5.45 The Quarry Theatre at St Luke’s Peter’s, 26 St Peters St, Bedford MK40 2NN

The Culture Challenge, Bedford Creative Arts and The Royal Opera House Bridge in collaboration with the Bedford Arts and Cultural Education Group (BACE), would like to invite all Bedford Borough based education colleagues interested in developing creative and cultural learning to two creative network meetings.

This is an opportunity for Bedford Borough schools to meet kindred colleagues from other schools and develop knowledge of local and national cultural providers. The results of the recent Bedford Borough Cultural Education Needs Analysis will be shared as will the new CPD offer available to schools from the Bedford Borough based Specialist Leaders in Cultural Education (SLICE) SLE’s.

Hear from current projects such as the BACE cultural twinning programme, and the findings from the creativity for wellbeing project, explore case studies of best practice from schools in Bedford and leave with a ‘goody’ bag of creative and cultural flyers and brochures to ensure that you know what is available to your schools and students. Participants will be able to feed in their thoughts, needs and requirements to the development of strategic projects in the area including the future of the networking meetings. These are particularly well suited to schools undertaking Artsmark, but are absolutely open to all teachers who have an interest in creative and cultural approaches to learning. These are free to attend although booking is required. Complimentary drinks and nibbles will be available

To book your free place at one or both events please email Aileneg@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk

BACE twinning Conference: Creative Collaborations in Education
10th July 2019, 9:30 – 4:00
Gateway, University of Bedfordshire Polhill Avenue Bedford. MK41 9EA

A conference celebrating collaborations between the culture and education sectors incorporating the findings from the BACE twinning programme 2018/2019, an innovative pilot project which twinned cultural partners such as Bedford Creative Arts, Full House Theatre, The Philharmoia Orchestra, The Higgins and others with Bedford Borough Schools. Expect frank stories of relationship building, lessons learnt and the practical problem solving inherent in any pilot. Leave inspired, enthused and full of ideas to take back to your own setting. The conference, and the Twinning project itself were funded by the Education Improvement Strategic group, and the venue was generously donated by the University for Bedfordshire.

Save the Date!
Venue and booking details will be announced in due course.