Education

Newham Council and the University of East London (UEL) have announced a partnership aimed at increasing cultural and creative opportunities for young people in the area.

The partnership, based at Stratford Youth Zone, will see a £733,000-a-year investment go towards supporting creative and performing arts opportunities in Newham.

The venue will host social and emotional learning programmes, along with activities focused on drama, music, dance, fashion, games design, filmmaking, screenwriting and visual and digital arts. 

The programme will also include education workshops led by art students from UEL and the university will draw on staff and student expertise in education, youth work, social work, business, events and hospitality to involve young people – particularly those deemed disadvantaged and at-risk – in research and the production of arts activities. 

The partnership will also seek to make available opportunities for young people to undertake work placements, mentorships, internships and apprenticeships offering experience and paths to career opportunities in the creative industries.

“Providing exemplary youth service provision is a central objective of my administration because we want Newham to be the best place for a child and young person to grow up, so that they reach their potential and thrive,” said Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz.

“Through this pioneering collaboration with the University of East London, the Council’s Youth Empowerment Service will progress with its ambitious plans to offer a range of enriching and empowering opportunities for young people through an exciting curriculum anchored in culture, creativity and the arts.”

Medway School of Arts is set to open its doors in September on a site at The Historic Dockyard, Chatham.

The new school will be run by MidKent College and will offer university-level courses.

It hopes to fill the gap created by the impending closure of the University of Creative Arts (UCA) in Rochester.

UCA will close its current site in September with plans to move its arts courses to Canterbury, Epsom and Farnham.

Commenting on the site for the new school, MidKent College principal, Simon Cook, said: “The Historic Dockyard is known in Medway as a hub for the creative industries, so we are delighted to base Medway’s School of Arts there."

The Royal Ballet School has launched a digital membership programme to widen access for those wanting to support its operation.

The school is offering memberships of £65 a year - or £45 for Young Members - extending the options for support to young philanthropists or those based overseas.

The new programme is part of a push to raise funds vital to ensuring the organisation’s survival. Funding from the Department of Education has remained at a standstill while running costs have risen, the school said, leaving a shortfall that requires it to raise over £1m in donations annually.

Members and Young Members will be offered exclusive behind-the-scenes access to ballet classes via Zoom, a bi-monthly newsletter with photos, videos and stories, and discounts on Royal Ballet School shop and video-on-demand products. 

The funds raised will contribute to the school’s General Fund, which is used to cover the running costs of its studios, facilities and accommodation, to fund healthcare provision, to pay salaries and to maintain its historic buildings.