Partner With Us

Opportunities to commission and partner with us

We are proud to work with a variety of individuals and organisations committed to creating ambitious work by, with, and for children and young people. We strive to work in partnership because, in our view, it is the only way to ensure that diverse perspectives can shape the nature of the change we aim to make.

Often our work is delivered through a ‘systems lens’ which, for us, is about engaging with the widest possible context and not making assumptions about how we experience the world. In practice, this means connecting stakeholders from different spaces (youth networks, communities, sectors, systems such as education) to engage with common issues and work towards personal and shared goals. We make this approach possible by prioritising listening and collaboration and playing a range of roles such as convener, designer, facilitator, coach, advocate and evaluator.

How We Work

  • Public Partnerships

    We have long-standing relationships with public bodies including Arts Council England, Department for Education, Mayor of London, and the London Legacy Development Corporation. These relationships have catalysed wider partnerships, enabling us to create inclusive and relevant work for children and young people by reaching deeply into communities and collaborating effectively with partners.

    We are also delighted to have relationships with many local areas across London. We often work alongside local authorities and partners to seed and grow place-based partnerships and develop leadership through co-created support offers, collaborative commissioning, and learning forums.

    For examples, please see:

  • Major Projects

    We have been commissioned to lead significant learning and development programmes at key moments for London and the UK. As one of the UK’s leading agencies advising on cultural education and creativity, we have designed and delivered powerful work which stretches ambitions and unlocks our national cultural assets for an international audience.

    For examples, please see:

    • Year 3 – a large scale art project delivered in partnership with Tate, Artangel, and artist Steve McQueen, which engaged 76,146 seven- and eight-year-olds across London
    • Dreamachine – a unique immersive experience and learning programme commissioned by UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK 2022
  • Research and Consultancy

    We are often approached to help organisations generate insights and create space for thinking and knowledge exchange. Our staff and pool of trusted associates are uniquely placed at the intersection of systems affecting children and young people which helps us to influence positive change that is rooted in evidence-based practice.

    Recently, our work has focused on helping organisations to analyse needs and trends, develop plans and strategies, co-design and evaluate programmes, develop learning and curriculum resources, establish youth engagement activities, and support fundraising goals.

    For examples, please see:

    • Our work evaluating Transforming Leadership, Arts Council England’s cultural leadership programme
    • Investing in Disruptive Futures with TSIP and Centric to better understand entrepreneurship within urban communities
    • Co-design of a new teacher CPD programme on behalf of the East Bank Partnership
    • Our Listening Projects research project, which sought to understand the impact of Covid on our stakeholders
    • Caring for Cultural Freedom – our creative ecology work exploring how cultural learning happens in a place and how it can best be supported
  • Trusts and Foundations

    We have been fortunate to work with trusts and foundations who have supported us to pilot and innovate our programmes for greater social impact. This work has been vital in helping us reach out to new places and work with specific communities such as children and young people with experience of the care system.

    We have also been supported through capital funds to create welcoming venues for our staff, participants and partners, as well as provide vital equipment for accessing programmes.

    For examples, please see:

    • We Belong – a programme of co-creation and leadership culture with Children Looked After and Care Leavers addressing issues of loneliness
    • Moving on Up – a collective impact partnership in Newham seeking to increase the employment rates for young black men
  • Industry Partnerships

    We have worked with partners across the creative, cultural, digital, and tech industries since our inception to catalyse inclusive employment and progression practices. We have produced partnerships with large corporates and the fast-growing creative industries to kickstart creative careers, set up brand partnerships, and host mentoring experiences for diverse talent (global majority, d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse, care experienced).

    We also actively support these industries to become more representative as a workforce and create good working conditions through peer learning and networking experiences. We have launched innovative paid (at Living Wage) job creation schemes and have been commissioned to scout new talent via our networks and digital platforms.

    For examples, please see:

Our Supporters

Our work would not be possible without the support of funders, commissioners, sponsors and volunteers. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the individuals who have taken the time to get to know us and supported us through the years. You can find a listing of our funders within our charity accounts.

Get In Touch

We are always keen to discuss new ideas for potential partnerships and commissions. Please contact our team at info@anewdirection.org.uk