Research and Publications

Royal Opera House Bridge invests in research that helps identify local need and provision, explorers new models and initiatives and creates a valuable knowledge base for all professionals working in the arts and education sector. We also provide opportunities for professionals to connect, share learning and be inspired by experts from a range of disciplines and backgrounds.

Latest Research Findings

National Cultural Organisations and Bridges: Working together to spread cultural opportunity for children and young people in England.

In early 2020 the ten Children and Young People Sector Support organisations (Bridges) commissioned a piece of research into how we could work more effectively with national organisations for the benefit of children across England. The work was commissioned pre the COVID-19 Pandemic and the research took place as the first national Lockdown started. This had a significant impact on the timescale of the research as many staff from the Learning and Participation departments of national organisations were furloughed. The research, however, was completed in the summer and we are really pleased to share the Executive Summary of the findings to support a more joined up and strategic conversation with national organisations over the next year.

The starting point for this work was the premise that national organisations are a highly significant asset and resource in the national cultural education ecology. Many have national touring remits and exercise a sector leadership role, with a strong brand identity, a reputation for quality provision, a range of models, programmes and a body of knowledge that has a status and currency particularly with schools outside of London. A significant amount of their national delivery is distributed through their learning and participation teams who are balancing innovation alongside largescale delivery. Some national organisations also have the capacity to commission research, and many choose to invest in local and regional partnership infrastructure.

The Bridge organisations have a clear remit from Arts Council England to work strategically to ensure all children and young people can engage with high quality arts and culture. This is achieved through their own programmes and their stewardship of the network of Local Cultural Education Partnerships that they nurture. Each Bridge has a significant knowledge of the variety of cultural and educational provision in their region and the communities they serve.

We found in our research that the dialogue and relationships between Bridges and National organisations has not been consistent. For instance, Bridges are often unaware when delivery takes place in a region and national organisation often unaware of how we might support them. This feels like a missed opportunity to create an equitable distribution of offers in a place and ensure that the wider cultural infrastructure collaboratively reaches the widest number of children and young people possible.

We were keen for the research to:

Provide insight to inform joint planning of schools/young people provision across the network of Bridges and national organisations
Inform Arts Council England and other investors of key challenges and opportunities that are relevant to the development of a national strategy around schools engagement
Uncover and share good practice across the cultural education community that will help raise the standard of work across the sector
Extend networks and contacts
Provide greater awareness on questions of remit and specialism, that will help develop joint working in the future.

Since the work was commissioned obviously the world has changed and it is likely to continue to change over the coming months and years. The pressures on schools and cultural sector and the uncertainty we all face around how we can work together more effectively is going to be challenging. In the short term as we all reset and rebuild, the ten Bridges are planning to hold a series of conversations in the Spring of 2021 (more than likely online) to explore future collaboration, dialogue and partnership working with national organisations. Dates for these will be shared in early 2021.

One of the key findings from the research was that, until now Bridges have not had a consistent system for national bodies to engage with them. The ten Bridges are all unique organisations operating collaboratively, but within their own delivery systems. We accept that to reduce confusion we need a simple, clear way to ensure nationals can engage with the relevant Bridge for the regions they are considering working in. As a first step term each Bridge has identified a lead individual as a point of contact. Details below:

Names of national leads

Bridge	Contact	Email
A New Direction (London)	Steve Moffitt	steve.moffitt@anewdirection.org.uk
Royal Opera House Bridge (Essex, Herts, Beds, North Kent)	Roxie Curry	roxie.curry@roh.org.uk
Art Works (South East)	Louise Govier	louisegovier@artswork.org.uk
Real Ideas Organisation (South West)	Jemima Hurlock	jemima.hurlock@realideas.org
Norfolk & Norwich Festival Bridge (East Anglia)	Michael Corley	michael@nnfestival.org.uk
Arts Connect (West Midlands)	Helen Frost	helen.frost@wlv.ac.uk
The Mighty Creatives (East Midlands)	Emily York	Emily.york@themightycreatives.com
Curious Minds (North West	Derri Burdon	derri.burdon@curiousminds.org.uk
We Are IVE (Yorkshire and Humber)	Verity Clarke	verity@weareIVE.org
Culture Bridge North East (North East)	Bill Griffiths	bill.griffiths@twmuseums.org.uk

We hope you enjoy the Executive Summary, and hope this is a first step to better co-ordination of regional and national cultural learning infrastructures that will place the aspirations, needs and situations of children and young people at their heart. We are grateful for the work of Natalie Highwood and Chloe Bird in undertaking the research.

National Arts, Creative and Cultural Education Survey - July 2020 - Summary of Findings

As a response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Bridge England Network initiated a National School Survey. The purpose of this survey was to gather indicative information from schools about the potential needs and creative aspirations for their pupils from autumn 2020 onwards. The aim was to identify how Bridges and the cultural sector might best support schools moving forward. It was distributed in the last two weeks of the academic year, in a very challenging school term, to gather the most relevant information. Bridge England Network is hugely grateful to those educators who were able to find the time to respond.

Please find the full report here.

For the latest news and opportunities follow us @ROHBridge or get email updates.

2017/18

The Creative School: Leading Cultural Learning

2016/17

Voices for Culture: Leading Cultural Learning ROH Bridge Annual Report 2015/16

2015/16

2014/15

Royal Opera House Bridge Annual Review 2013/14 End of Year Review 2013-14 (2.5MB) The second annual review of Royal Opera House Bridge
Bridgefest / You Ask We Answer - Final Report Bridgefest Research (850KB PDF) A peer-led consultation with people aged 11 – 19, exploring their ideas and views about arts and culture in the region Lucie Fitton, Head of Engagement, The Audience Agency
'Artsmakers Snakes & Ladders' - Ways to integrate arts and culture in learning Artsmakers Handout (5MB PDF) A playful look at simple things we can do and things to avoid when leading on cultural learning in schools. (Designed to be printed on both sides at A3) Illustrations by Ayesha L Rubio www.ayeshalrubio.com