FEATURE: CULTURAL EDUCATION


disruptive year, and so projects like Connecting Stories, are a great way to inspire young people through their local arts and culture scene.


Why have we called this project Connecting Stories? We have called this project Connecting Stories because it’s all about making connections in the community through arts and culture, capturing the story of the area through creativity. Exhibitions of local people and children’s work will combine their personal stories, experiences in their own words, to the story of the cultural venue, creating a new legacy, so everyone feels part of something bigger. The initiative also involves influential local


people and people who create and tell stories for a living. Publishers and writers who have fantastic stories to share will inspire local children and families to share their own, to read more and embrace the power of storytelling. Human connection is so important but has


been made harder in this pandemic. Children who struggle with language at age five are three times more likely to have mental health problems as adultsiI and so the importance of sharing experiences and stories is also really important for their wellbeing and sense of community.


What do we want local families to get out of Connecting Stories? Our community-first approach aims to grow local demand for ongoing reading and writing activities and increase young people’s access to books following our research which found 1 in 11 disadvantaged children do not have a single book of their owniii at home, as well as creative experiences in the communities who often miss out because they need funding for arts projects. Research by the University of Southampton


indicates that primary and secondary students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds will have experienced the most acute learning loss as a result of COVID-19, equivalent to one year of schoolingiv and this can determine a child’s future. This is putting immense pressure on schools to help these children catch up on their learning and so Connecting Stories gives pupils’ and their families further learning support with community-based initiatives. This approach to proactive audience


development for literature fulfils Arts Council England’s ambition that everyone should have the


opportunity to develop and express creativity and supports the inspiring work teachers are doing in the classroom. We will also open more digital opportunities, in line with Arts Council England’s priority to promote engagement with literacy digitally. Our strategic priority is ensuring not only that Hubs support local literacy but, as more local authorities and stakeholders see our impact, that our place-based approaches become a national movement that creates national impact. In 2020 we will launch a national network of place-based approaches to promoting literacy.


What will the initiative entail? We will be teaming up with publishers and authors local to each area, who will donate books and speak directly to children to encourage and inspire them. Following this, there will be a creative writing competition in each Hub area and an exhibition of the entries displayed in local cultural spaces. This work will also come together as an anthology. There will be several walking trails emerging, creating experiences for the whole family to get out and about and connect with their local area while helping their children learn more about where they live and boost their literacy. Almost half (44%) of schools serving the most


disadvantaged communities do not have a school libraryv and so we will also further engage local and central libraries as a crucial community resource and meeting place, promoting library use and membership to raise awareness of all that libraries can offer young people and their families for free while supporting community cohesion through the shared experience of reading for enjoyment. This aligns with the work Arts Council England is doing through the Libraries Taskforce and promotion of the contribution public.


Why is it so important to establish a culture of reading and writing for pleasure in areas where low literacy is a real challenge? A key focus of the initiative is to improve attitudes and behaviours towards reading for pleasure, in diverse, disadvantaged communities where the impact of COVID-19 has been especially acute. Our research shows that children who enjoy


December 2020


reading are three times more likelyvi to read above the level expected for their age as those who don’t enjoy reading. Good literacy skills are key to helping young people and adults overcome barriers, giving them the confidence to pursue their aspirations.vii It’s also important for families to encourage


reading and writing from a young age as children who struggle with language at age five are more than twice as likely to be unemployed at age 34viii and people with low levels of literacy are more likely to have poor health, low health literacy and engage in harmful health behaviours, which in turn puts them at a higher risk of living a shorter life. It is vital to open up as many opportunities as


possible for families who need the support most, to boost their literacy through the magic of the arts and all the wonderful creative experiences they can get involved in and really feel part of in their local area and also at home. We’re looking forward to bringing many


cultural events and initiatives to life in these communities and supporting a thriving arts and culture sector in disadvantaged communities, helping to give the next generation of readers and writers the best chance in life.ix


i National Literacy Trust (2019) Writer visits and children


and young people's literacy engagement ii Law et al. (2009) Modeling developmental language difficulties from school entry into adulthood: literacy,


mental health, and employment outcomes iii National Literacy Trust (2019) Gift of reading: children's


book ownership in 2019 iv University of Southampton (2020) Learning inequalities during the Covid-19 pandemic: how families cope with


home-schooling v Great School Libraries (2019) Great School Libraries


Survey Findings Update on Phase 1 vi National Literacy Trust (2020) Children and young


people’s reading in 2019 vii National Literacy Trust (2020) Aspirations, literacy and


gender viii The Sutton Trust (2019) APPG on Social Mobility


Inquiry: Closing the regional attainment gap ix National Literacy Trust (2018) Literacy and life expectancy


www.education-today.co.uk 33


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44