AND and NotDeadFish launch new publication

24 October 2016

(Image from Heart n Soul Twitter account.)

A New Direction and NotDeadFish's Cultural Leaders programme worked with a group of senior arts teachers from across London to develop their capacity as advocates of arts and cultural education. The programme had the specific intent of building a network of teachers able to share good practice – both their own and that of others – across London schools and beyond into policy.

As part of this programme, Cultural Leaders were supported to identify one aspect of arts and cultural education that they wanted to explore in more depth in their own school. The brief was broad but Cultural Leaders were encouraged to consider how they could evaluate the impact of an arts intervention on a particular group of students. This work was carried out both to model good practice in Continuing Professional Development – following as it did the 10 Principles of effective CPD outlined in the work of Coe, Cordingley et al for Teacher Development Trust – and to introduce research approaches to teachers who have stepped up to system leadership.

'Cultural Capital – teacher led research into the impact of arts and cultural education' is the published collection of 11 of these research studies. Launched at AND’s Creative Childhood Conference the publication aims to both share the learning of these individual teachers and to champion teacher led research on the impact of arts and cultural education.

The book does not claim to be an authoritive voice on the impact of arts education, but rather a step towards a teacher led shaping of what makes effective practice in arts and cultural education and a generous sharing of Cultural Leaders prepared to put their head above the parapet and share their own learning.

Copies of the book have been shared with Cultural Leaders, schools across London and key stakeholders in cultural and arts education. Additional copies are available at http://www.notdeadfish.co.uk/publishing/ with discounts for London schools (email Isabel@notdeadfish.co.uk).

See some top tips from the Cultural Leaders below.