This timely seminar will provide an early opportunity to discuss the content and implementation of the National Plan for Cultural Education, due to be published shortly.

Delegates will consider issues raised by details in the Plan, including the balance and choice of experiences, as well as the role of external organisations and how the Plan’s overall success should be measured.

This conference will bring together individuals and organisations who will be central to the future development and implementation of cultural education, including school and college leaders, local authority representatives, youth and arts charities, cultural venues, and other arts organisations with senior policymakers and regulatory officials.

At this early stage, discussion is expected to focus on:

• The cultural experiences set out in the Plan, including the range of activities and the balance between active participation and passive enjoyment;
• Provision for young people with a strong interest in particular areas of culture;
• The role of external organisations in delivering cultural education; and
• How young people’s cultural experiences can be tracked and the Plan’s success can be measured, including the possible role of a ‘cultural passport’. 

The draft agenda is copied below my signature, and a regularly updated version is available to view online here. The seminar is organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Westminster Education Forum. 

Speakers

We are delighted to be able to include in this seminar a keynote address from Althea Efunshile, Deputy Chief Executive, Arts Council England.

Further confirmed speakers include:  Sarah Alexander, Chief Executive and Artistic Director, National Youth Orchestra; Lizzie Crump, Manager, Cultural Learning Alliance; Dr Simon Fox, Principal, Flegg High School, Martham, Norfolk; Rachel Jacob, Headteacher, Hillcross Primary School, Morden; Linda Jasper, Director, Youth Dance England; Purni Morell, Artistic Director, Unicorn Theatre; Jeremy Newton, Chief Executive, The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts and Sandra Stancliffe, Education Director, English Heritage.

Additional senior participants are being approached.

Networking

Westminster Education Forum seminars present an opportunity to engage with key policymakers and other interested parties, and are CPD certified (more details). Typically, attendees at our seminars are a senior and informed group numbering around 120, including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior officials from the DfE, DCMS and other relevant Departments, as well as school and college leaders, representatives of local authorities, cultural practitioners, youth and arts charities, academics, and members of the national and trade press.

Output and About Us

A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out within a week of the event to all attendees and a wider group of Ministers and officials at the DfE, DCMS and other government departments; officials at Ofsted and other agencies affected by the issues; and Parliamentarians with a special interest in these areas. It will also be made available more widely. This document will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations, speakers’ biographies, an attendee list, an agenda and sponsor information. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, similar to those for Select Committee Uncorrected Evidence, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.

All delegates will receive complimentary PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.

The Westminster Education Forum is strictly impartial and cross-party, and draws on the considerable support it receives from within Parliament and Government, and amongst the wider stakeholder community. The Forum has no policy agenda of its own. Forum events are frequently the platform for major policy statements from senior Ministers, regulators and other officials, opposition speakers and senior opinion-formers in industry and interest groups. Events regularly receive prominent coverage in the national and trade press.

Booking arrangements

To book places, please use our online booking form.

Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below.

Please pay in advance by credit card on 01344 864796. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able to make other arrangements.

Options and charges are as follows:

• Places at Implementing the National Plan for Cultural Education (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £190 plus VAT;
• Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are£80 plus VAT. Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.

For those who cannot attend:

• Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the questions and comments sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 7 daysafter the event for £95 plus VAT;
• Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT.

If you find the charge for places a barrier to attending, please let me know as concessionary and complimentary places are made available in certain circumstances (but do be advised that this typically applies to individual service users or carers, full-time students, people between jobs or who are fully retired with no paid work, and representatives of small charities - not businesses, individuals funded by an organisation, or larger charities/not-for-profit companies). Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).