Bedford Arts & Cultural Education
Bedford Arts and Cultural Education (BACE) is a Local Cultural Education Partnership that includes the University of Bedfordshire, Bedford Borough Council, local schools and colleges, and local creative and cultural providers.
BACE is committed to providing creative learning experiences for children and young people in Bedford Borough. We believe sustainability is all about incorporating creativity, managing risks and having the persistence to see challenges through. To harness this commitment, we as a partnership use our combined strengths as organisations from the cultural and education sectors to:
- Broaden and deepen the cultural and creative experiences available to all children and young people.
- Enable children and young people to lead and shape their creative learning experiences, supporting them to have a lifelong engagement with creative and cultural activities.
- Support the progression in education and strengthening of pathways to employment within the creative industries.
- Support teachers and cultural providers to build robust cultural education offers that demonstrate resilience and the quality principles
The UoB Arts and Culture Projects team work with colleagues across the University, with LCEP partners, and in dialogue with other LCEPs across the county/region to develop and consolidate a range of LCEP resources to help Luton-based teachers, creative practitioners and children and young people.
Access the LCEP resources
In addition, there are wider Arts and Culture Resources, which provide a broad range of cultural sector-level support, resources, reports and links.
In September 2019, ROH Bridge set out to create new networks for education settings in targeted areas. The networks were designed to be local forums for the coordination of creative and cultural learning discussion and activity. Initially networks were established in places that have a Local Cultural Education Partnership, and with BACE’s Creative Teachers’ Network was launched in early 2020.
As is the case with all Creative Networks, the BACE Creative Teachers’ Network is intended to develop semi-autonomously, placing the responsibility for shaping the conversation with local school leaders with input from University of Bedfordshire and ROH Bridge School Engagement Managers to assure quality and help drive momentum for more strategic/coordinated activity.
Networks are framed as forums to discuss and respond to local need, with early conversations facilitating conversations that help to identify collective needs and challenges so that the network can plan a programme of teacher/school support.
If you are a local teacher and/or educator and you would like to join the Network please contact ROH Bridge School Engagement Manager Tina Gray-Rampello at tina.gray-rampello@roh.org.uk
N.B. Due to the Coronavirus Luton’s Creative Teachers’ Network physical meetups have been postponed, with a shift towards to a remote method of delivery. If you are a teacher and require support please contact culture@beds.ac.uk
To meet the demand of Covid-19, the Arts and Culture Projects team have also developed resources that can be used digitally. See LCEP Resources
Furthermore, teachers can contact ROH Bridge School Engagement Manager Tina Gray-Rampello at tina.gray-rampello@roh.org.uk for digital support in terms of Artsmark and cultural educational delivery support.
The BACE Twinning Project is a pilot scheme led by LCEP partner Bedford Creative Arts, who are an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) based in Bedford. The Twinning Project seeks to address challenges around participation and engagement in culture trough an innovative twinning scheme that matches local cultural providers (e.g. The Higgins Bedford, Full House Theatre, The Philharmonia Orchestra) with Bedford Borough schools.
These one-to-one partnerships between cultural organisation and school builds a vital cross-sector relationship through peer-to-peer professional development sessions and the funding of creative projects. Each set of twins regularly come together for CPD with other twins within the cohort.
Twinned organisations will work together to develop and deliver cultural opportunities for young people and to strengthen links between schools and cultural providers.
For more information, contact BCA at info@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk
From time to time, BACE advertises commissions for specific pieces of work to be undertaken that support the strengthening and sustainable growth of the BACE partnership. These opportunities are shared here as well as through the BACE partners’ own methods of marketing and communications.
Currently there are no tenders being advertised.
If you would like to know more information about BACE please get in touch:
General BACE Enquiries
University of Bedfordshire Arts and Culture Projects team: culture@beds.ac.uk
Joining the BACE Steering Group
Bedford Borough Council Manager for Libraries & Culture (Chair), Tom Perrett: tom.perrett@bedford.gov.uk
School Specific Support (including participation and support with Artsmark)
UoB Collaborative Outreach Project Manager, Paula Page: paula.page@beds.ac.uk
ROH Bridge School Engagement Manager (Herts, Beds and Luton), Tina Gray-Rampello: tina.gray-rampello@roh.org.uk
Cultural Providers
UoB Arts and Culture Projects Manager, Emma Gill: emma.gill@beds.ac.uk
ROH Bridge Programme Manager (Luton & Beds), Emma Van Nieuwenburgh: emma.vannieuwenburgh@roh.org.uk
Bedford Creative Arts: info@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk