Reading Cultural Education Partnership (RCEP) Create Reading

Draft new strategy

‘The Arts power young people. They power their confidence, they power their discipline, they power their creativity, they power their health and wellbeing, and they power their holistic development.’ Vaughan Fleischfresser, Teaching Fellow in Music Education at The University of Edinburgh.

Vision

Working in partnership as the CEP in Reading, to protect young people’s right, as defined by UNICEF, to access the arts and creative programming, champion and demonstrate the importance of the arts as a core part a young person’s development, achieve more cultural discussion and collaboration across organisations and sectors to create activity for children and young people in Reading.

Overarching aims

A clear shared narrative for the CEP that highlights the impact and successes that partner organisations have on young people’s lives, mental wellbeing, employment outcomes and on Reading’s placemaking ambitions. And demonstrates the potential that Creative Organisations have in impacting young people’s lives for the better.

●        Youth voice and access

We will champion Youth Voice and empower more children and young people from all backgrounds to take part in and shape culture in Reading.

●        School partnerships

We will create closer links with schools and support teachers in embedding creative programming into the curriculum.

●        Talent pipeline

We will ensure there are clear pathways for children and young people’s creative development in cultural

activities and careers.

●        Advocacy and impact

We will develop a CEP strategy that advocates for partner organisations and young people. Celebrating

the impact arts/creativity and culture can have on young people’s lives.

The way we will work

The CEP will put in place a Steering Group who will drive forward plans, advocate for and represent the wider CEP . The Steering Group will support and work with the wider CEP to facilitate projects and specific areas of the strategy to ensure we meet the key performance indicators.

Our values

• Be Collaborative
• Be innovative
• Be inclusive

Goals and objectives

Aim	Outputs	Delivery partners
Youth Voice and access	Phase 1 Create a youth focus group to discuss areas of the strategy and ensure we’re working towards what the young people providers want. Phase 2 Work with the focus group to educate CEP about young people’s needs and inform decision making	Steering Group Youth Focus group (to be made up of members of the CEP)
Schools Partnerships	Phase 1 Gather data on members of the CEP who already have a dedicated education team, direct contacts within schools and direct marketing communications e.g. newsletters. Phase 2 From feedback form identify needs of CEP members in relation to school partnerships and highlight gaps where support is needed.   Phase 3 Develop a plan for support and delivery of support.	Steering Group / CEP members/Brighter Futures for Children         Steering Group     Steering Group
Talent Pipeline (Creative Communities)	Phase 1 Work with schools, Activate learning and University of Reading to identify barriers to offering industry experience and apprenticeships Collate barriers organisations experience when offering opportunities Phase 2 Setting up an outward facing presence/platform outlining creative organisations opportunities.   Contribute to a REDA creative skills roadshow Phase 3 Apply for resources to develop further work Phase 4 Explore a mentor scheme best practice sharing	Berks Music / Activate Learning / UOR / Steering Group/ schools/general opportunities     CEP   Steering Group & Youth Focus Group/ REDA   CEP Group Exec.             Gemma CC to explore
Advocacy and Impact and celebrate 10 years of CEP 2025	Phase 1 Finalise data gathering form and distribute among CEP members. Phase 2 Defining the CEP’s purpose and audience based on survey feedback. Phase 3 Establishing what resources can be created to support CEP members, exploring on and offline opportunities. Phase 4 Develop and enact plan to celebrate 10 years of CEP!	Steering group and CEP members       Steering group       Steering group           Steering group

Action plan

Objective	Target	Who is responsible
Youth Voice (Involve CYP in CEP strategy formulation) Work with the youth focus group to discuss areas of the strategy and ensure we’re working towards what the young people/providers want.	KR1. To gather information from CEP members about their creative and cultural activity. KR2. To identify the gaps in delivery so that CEP organisations can respond to those gaps. KR3. From that point to look at how the information is shared across the CEP with clear outcomes	Steering group
Schools Partnerships Phase 1 Gather data on members of the CEP who already have a dedicated education team, direct contacts within schools and direct marketing communications e.g. newsletters.	KR1. By end of 2024 to have a list from Brighter Futures for Children and CEP members to list the schools and groups worked with (GDPR depending)	KR1 all CEP members/ Brighter Futures for Children
Phase 2 From feedback form identify needs of CEP members in relation to school partnerships and highlight gaps where support is needed.	KR1. By end of January 2025 to have reviewed and looked at where the areas that need attention and identify gaps   KR2. Present findings to Brighter Futures for Children and gain feedback.   KR3. Present to WEC and Education Partnership and gain feedback on communication preferences.	KR1 Steering Group KR2 Steering Group KR3 Steering group
Phase 3 Develop a plan for support and delivery of support.	KR1. Write draft plan based on feedback from all parties March 2025 KR2. Present to wider CEP network for feedback   KR3. By August 2025 plan the delivery of support.	KR1 Steering Group KR2 Steering Group and CEP members   KR3 Steering Group
Talent Pipeline 1.Work with schools, Activate Learning and the University of Reading to identify barriers to offering work placements and apprenticeships	KR1. By March 2025 to implement a plan for gathering information and look at the offer out there already KR2. Consolidate and identify gaps in information from CEP members to communicate individual industry placement/mentoring offers.	KR1 Activate Learning, Reading Uni, Steering Group, Berkshire Music KR2 Steering group, CEP members
2.Contribute to creative skills roadshow	KR1 Work with REDA to be actively involved in their Creative Skills Roadshow.	KR1 Steering Group
3.Apply industry placement to development of further work	KR1. By March 2025 to have a plan of what additional resources would be appropriate for us to explore.   KR2. By August 2025 to have applied industry placement for 2025/26 academic year to support CEP	KR1 Steering Group KR2 CEP Exec
Advocacy and Impact Phase 1 Finalise data gathering form and distribute among CEP members. Phase 2 Defining the CEP’s purpose and audience based on survey feedback. Phase 3 Establishing what resources can be created to support CEP members, exploring on and offline opportunities.	KR1. Finalise data gathering form and distribute among CEP members by end of October 2024.   KR2.Defining the CEP’s purpose and audience based on survey feedback by March 2025   KR3. Establishing what resources can be created to support CEP members, exploring on and offline opportunities. June 2025	KR1 Steering Group
Phase 4 Develop and enact plan to celebrate 10 years of CEP!	KR1. Form a sub committee who will lead on a celebration plan Dec 24. KR2. By March 25 have a plan of how we will celebrate the partnership.	KR1 Steering Group

Latest Demographics on CYP in Reading to be added

41,957 CYP aged 0-19 in 2021 making up 24.1% of the overall Reading population. Total population is 174,200. Reading has a very diverse population, with 46.5% now belonging to a Black and Minority Ethnic community, the joint second highest proportion in the South East after Slough and with Oxford (2021 Census, Office for National Statistics), and up from 35% in 2011.

Areas of deprivation exist within the wards of Caversham, Church, Norcot, Redlands, Southcote and Whitley.

In general terms, Reading tends to score better than the national average for most health measures, although this hides problems amongst particular communities. One of the most significant health-

related statistics is that life expectancy is 7.8 years lower for men and 6.5 years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Reading than in the least deprived areas.**

**Source: Public Health England Health Profile 2017

Definition of culture

The following statement was drawn up as a result of comments from the consulted young people’s groups: Children and young people see ‘culture’ as a way of life, contributing towards their wellbeing and values. Digital culture is an important part of their everyday connection with culture and helps to break down barriers to access and challenge social norms. As well as being about involvement with arts and heritage, young people see culture as something that they shape themselves and is interactive, not static.

Definition of audience:

The work of the CEP focuses on children and young people aged 0–19 and on vulnerable young people up to the age of 25.

Appendix

Core Steering Group, Task and Finish groups and Network Meetings

The working of the Reading CEP and its groups has been re-defined following consultation and research, the CEP agreed to a new structure of Chair, Vice Chair and a Steering Group of eight members to drive forward our plans for the next year. Alongside this structure, Task and Finish Groups will be set up as and when funding is received to support activity.

Reading Borough Council support the CEP in kind with time allocated from the Cultural Placemaking Officer role. For this partnership to be sustainable, it is dependent on the wider arts and education sector being willing and able to also provide support to the CEP.

Core Steering Group

The role of the group is to drive forward the strategy. The group will meet six times a year. Members on the group will be representatives from the membership of the CEP.

Members will be appointed for a two-year term. Members will commit to offering in kind support, which we estimate will be between half a day to one day a month, to:

• Lead a strategic priority area or fundraising on behalf of the RCEP with one other Steering Group member, including driving forward plans or advocacy work.
• Attend Steering Group meetings approximately every six to eight weeks and Members meetings four times a year. Meetings will take place online. They may also occasionally take place in person.
• Represent the RCEP at wider cultural and education sector meetings, as part of delegations, at roundtables or other events; review documents and communications; or to help make connections or introductions for the RCEP.

There are existing ‘Holding’ Steering Group terms of reference (see below) and we anticipate the first task of the new Steering Group will be to update these. The Core Steering Group will have a Chair with a two year term. The Chair will be appointed by the Lead Members of the Council.

Role of the Vice Chair

The role of the Vice Chair is first and foremost to support the Chair and the development of the Cultural Education Partnership.

• Support the Chair in agenda setting
• Ensure that the CEP is meeting its targets as laid out in the Action Plan
• Support the Steering Group by ensuring that either the Chair or the Vice Chair attend all meetings between them
• Provide strategic direction where needed

The Vice Chair will be elected from the membership of the CEP. To stand for the role of Vice Chair the nominee must lead an organisation that is responsible for delivering against the 2020-2024 CEP Action Plan or be able to bring with them strategic insight that might help the CEP achieve its strategic priorities.

They will be nominated by at least 1 member of the CEP partnership who attend the meetings on a regular basis.

The nominee must submit no more than 500-word personal statement outlining their vision for the CEP for the CEP members to consider. The members will then have a defined period to vote. If there is more than one nomination. It is the individual that is being elected not the organisation. If the individual elected as Vice Chair steps down from the organisation that it represents elections will be reopened unless otherwise decided by the Chair and the Steering Group.

Voting will be done anonymously via a google form each organisation will get one vote so please make sure that coordinate votes if more than one member of your organisation attends the CEP meetings. The form will be managed by the Culture Development Officer. In the event of a tie, the Chair will have the casting vote.

Length of Service

The Vice Chair will be up for re-election every two years.

Network Meetings

There will be two Network Meetings held per year, in order to share learning, network and broaden awareness of the work of the CEP widely and to the non-cultural sector. The Network Meetings will include opportunities for feedback from the Children and Young People who have taken part in Arts Award and cultural programmes run by members of the CEP.

This network meeting will be chaired by the Core Steering Group Vice Chair and Chair as appointed by Council Leadership. This structure will be reviewed to ensure that the group remains as open and transparent as possible.

Decision making

Everyone has a voice in the partnership. The chair and Vice Chair will make the overall executive decisions.

Review and monitoring

The Cultural Education Partnership will complete an annual review on the targets set. All members will be accountable for ensuring they input to the agreed data analysis. As outlined in data collection agreements.

Changes

This is intended to be a working document and as changes are made it will be circulated around to the partnership members.

Changes will be made by agreement with a minimum of five CEP members. (Reading Cultural Education Partnership (RCEP)

Steering Group ‘Holding’ Terms of Reference

• The purpose of the Steering Group is to support RCEP development and creation of the next strategy for 2024-2027.
• The Group will facilitate the successful delivery of any funded project and will provide advice for developing and realising a resilient and sustainable RCEP.
• The Group is made up of representatives of the cultural and education sectors. We will recruit

members who represent the health sector, young people, physical activity and education sector.

Terms of service and role

• In addition to attendance at Steering Group meetings, Steering Group members may be called upon to represent the RCEP at meetings, as part of delegations, at roundtables or other events; to review documents and communications; or to help make connections or introductions for the RCEP.
• Where possible, Steering Group members should regard their membership as part of their core day-job, and should integrate the work of championing the RCEP and its work into their own work and that of their organisations, identifying any opportunities to contribute to the wider Reading picture, and, where possible, aligning any relevant events, resources or messaging to the needs of the RCEP.
• Meetings of the Steering Group will take place approximately every six to eight weeks. Members should notify the Chair in advance if they are unable to attend a meeting.
• Meetings will take place online via Zoom or another suitable platform. They may also occasionally take place in person.
• Steering Group members are expected to attend at least 60% of Steering Group meetings annually. If a member misses three meetings in a row they will be deemed to have submitted their resignation from the group. In extenuating circumstances the Chair can choose to waive this requirement.
• The agenda for each meeting will be sent a week in advance, and members are invited to send requests for agenda items for the chair to consider ahead of this, or include them as AOB.
• The steering group will share their decisions with the full RCEP membership by circulating agreed minutes to all RCEP members. Any matters deemed to be confidential will be agreed at the end of RCEP Steering Group meetings and will be omitted from the minutes shared with the full membership.
• If a member of the Steering Group behaves in a manner that is not in keeping with the ethos and values of the RCEP, a quorate of members of the Steering Group can remove their membership of the Steering Group and RCEP. The Steering Group is quorate when more than half the members are present. The RCEP ethos and values are anchored in our aims and objectives as well as the Seven Nolan Principles of Public Life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. Members will also adhere to the following RCEP Conflict of interest statement.

‘Integrity: Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their organisations, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.’)