national skills academy programme 2017-2018 · the national skills academy for creative &...

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National SkillsAcademy Programme

2016-2017Improving student employability

Inspiring the next generation

National Skills Academy Programme

2017-2018Supporting world-class education,

talent and skills

The National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural 2017-18

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Our Education NetworkLEADERSHIP COLLEGES

These colleges take a strategic lead in the network - driving forward new initiatives, influencing education policy and partnering with us to develop the National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries

EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS

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Contents03 Who We Are

04 What We Do

06 Live Briefs and Competitions

10 Work-related Learning

12 Work Placements and Apprenticeships

14 Events and Training

17 Resources

22 The Creative & Cultural Skills Awards

26 How Can You Participate?

27 Our Industry Supporters

www.ccskills.org.uk/network


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Who We Are

The UK’s creative sector is the best in the world, but to ensure that status in the long-term we must ensure that the next generation can access creative careers – regardless of their background.

In 2009 Creative & Cultural Skills created our National Skills Academy alongside equivalent organisations in 17 other sectors. This has enabled long-term ongoing collaboration with the Further Education sector and strong relationships with more than 50 FE colleges over the period. Recently we have attracted interest from Higher Education, Studio Schools and schools who have joined the NSA as Education Partners, as well as trade bodies and funders.

The National Skills Academy is therefore made up of education and training providers and industry supporters, and is open to all those who demonstrate a commitment to fair employment.

With support from our Skills Academy network, we deliver programmes designed to improve the provision of skills and training in the creative and cultural industries.

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What We Do

We have run careers events in cultural and business venues across the UK and introduced students to the industry through project briefs, competitions, behind-the-scenes events and industry insights.

Last year we ran programmes in collaboration with the BBC, Welsh National Opera, Design Museum, and the National Theatres of both England and Wales. We took students backstage to places including the Bournemouth International Centre, O2 Arena, and major festivals such as Leeds, Latitude and Wireless.

We have produced industry-led talks at the Skills Show, International Jewellery London and the Museums + Heritage Show; and collaborated with partners to deliver bespoke events such as the ‘Breaking into Music Conference’ in Belfast.

National Skills Academy programmes offer:

l Increased student employability l A UK-wide network of industry and education partners l Bespoke services to enhance the curriculum l Partnerships with industry through apprenticeships, placements and other work opportunities l Enhanced staff CPD l Industry endorsed careers advice and guidance through hands-on taster days, and both face-to-face and online advice

Our work has reached a wide demographic, and through our programmes, including the Creative Employment Programme (England and NI) and apprenticeship delivery, we are making a transformational impact on the workforce diversity of the creative sector workforce.

To find out how membership can benefit you, please contact [email protected]


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Live Briefs and Competitions

Opportunities to work on live briefs and competitions are regularly circulated via our member newsletters and promoted on our website. We offer both UK-wide and local competitions, all developed uniquely with industry partners in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The following major initiatives are highlighted as some of our key programmes:

BBC Introducing: UnpluggedAs part of our growing relationship with the BBC, our current programme gives music and media students the opportunity and experience of working on a live BBC brief to produce a music video in partnership with their local BBC Introducing programme. Students are required to work effectively with the band and across their curriculum areas to produce the video. The final video is expected to meet the standards set by the BBC, and if approved shown on the BBC Introducing website.

National Theatre: Design ChallengeThe National Theatre works with designers who demonstrate innovation, as well as in-depth knowledge and understanding of the play, in realising a director’s vision on the stage. However, a successful creative team for a production depends on their collective vision and ability to find collaborative solutions. Using the touring production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the Skills Academy have been providing unique opportunities to link with local theatres to create a bespoke programme of support such as industry talks and tours to help students create their own design for the production. Future opportunities include linking with productions such as War Horse and Jane Eyre.

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“It’s about giving students the right skills to make them more employable.”

Paul Latham, COO Live Nation


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British Council: Scene ChangeScene Change is a cultural skills exchange project that aims to foster creative learning between cultural institutions in the UK and Brazil via digital technology and international study visits.

Initiated in August 2014, Scene Change is a collaboration between the British Council, the Royal Opera House, High House Production Park and Creative & Cultural Skills in the UK and Brazilian partners Theatro Municipal, Spectaculu and FUNARTE. Facilitated by People’s Palace Projects and part of Transform Brazil programme, the project aims to connect students and teachers in Rio (Brazil) with the work and practices of our Skills Academy partners to develop dialogue around technical skills practice and engender long term connections.

Working with the British Council’s Cultural Skills unit, their vision is to create a stronger, more prosperous cultural sector with high quality technical, transversal and English language cultural skills provision, increasing the UK’s reputation for excellence and building trust between people and institutions worldwide. The work to date will be celebrated at an event in April 2017 and plans will be produced for future collaborations building upon our growing links in countries such as China and France.

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Design Museum: Student Design Competition In 2016 the Design Museum opened the doors to its new home in Kensington, London with a whole range of new opportunities for students to connect with contemporary processes and professional ways of designing.

The Design Museum aims to be a key resource and hub for Skills Academy students to use to develop and evolve into tomorrow’s professionals. Toward this goal, the museum has been inviting students to develop a design brief and concept that sets the agenda for their own future. National Skills Academy education partners can also access a free CPD day, extending educators’ professional networks and stimulating new ideas, and access support through our members’ speakers programme. A Competition Celebration event for the current programme will be held at the Design Museum in April 2017.

Welsh National Opera: Touring Set Challenge We’re giving students the opportunity to work on a large-scale set design brief with Welsh National Opera. The Set Design Challenge will be launched in April 2017, ready for a design period from September. Skills Academy members have access to information about stage plans, the Director’s vision and other useful information to assist students with their entry prior to submission.

Check out the Skills Academy page on the Creative & Cultural Skills website during the year for other real creative briefs from our industry supporters such as Live Nation and the Royal Opera House, who want to see your ideas.


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The National Skills Academy plays an essential role in delivering work-related learning, for example by encouraging our industry supporters to open their workplaces for visits, giving career talks, and providing work placement opportunities for students. These activities help to prepare young people for their future working lives and open up a full range of career opportunities that they might not have been aware of otherwise. These are just some of the opportunities designed to meet your specific interests and priorities:

Skills Academy Festival Side Show DaysGet exclusive access to major international festivals such as Latitude, Download and others. Students have been offered placements on the festivals each year as part of the programme.

Skills Academy Production DaysStaff and students can enjoy exclusive, behind-the-scenes access at venues, from London’s O2 to the SSE Arena in Belfast shadowing a get-in for a major event. Hosted by Glastonbury Festival’s Stage and Production Manager Steve Cheney.

Talks and ToursOur talks and tours programme provides unique access to experienced practitioners for question-and-answer sessions, and industry insight visits. The list of speakers who have been into our colleges over the last year includes: Costume Supervisor Gayle Playford (Wolf Hall) and Professional Make Up artist Melanie Winning (Disney) and visits to our industry supporters work places, including the Guildhall Portsmouth and leading audio-visual hire company Britannia Row.

Work-related Learning

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“We’re working together to build a different future for our industry.”

Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre


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Work Placements and Apprenticeships

Work experienceOur work experience programme offers young people in education a flexible experience of what work is like, before they make a formal commitment to a career. During the year we will work with our industry supporters to help support their work experience programmes and provide links to listings of opportunities around the UK on our Creative Choices careers resource.

ApprenticeshipsAt Creative & Cultural Skills we’re committed to supporting our college partners to deliver the best apprenticeships. We can help you make links with the industry to enrich your provision and support the delivery. As a registered training provider we can also deliver creative apprenticeships, working to complement the existing provision available through our college partners.

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Image courtesy of Artswork Ltd. Photographer: Murray Freestone

“Creative Choices is a spark; it’s the place where things get learned and stuff gets done.”

Jayne Knight, Arts Development Manager at Suffolk County Council


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Events & Training

Creative Education Forum: Autumn 2017Hosted by a member of the Skills Academy network, this annual event provides an opportunity for all education partners to come together to learn from each other’s best practice and experience. It also allows tutors to establish new contacts and build relationships within the National Skills Academy network. Gateshead College will host this year’s event in October 2017.

Creative & Cultural Skills National Conference: March 2018Bringing together leaders from across the creative industries and education for a day of inspiration, networking and best practice. Choose breakout sessions to get inspired and informed about issues relating to the creative industries and education.

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“Not everyone has the focus to sit in a classroom - some people learn better by getting involved and doing things”

Sherice Pitter, Apprentice of the Year Award 2016


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“A fantastic resource and excellent for signposting young people to real insights into variety of creative careers”

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Resources

OnlineCreative Choices is an online hub of advice and opportunities for anyone that wants to work in a creative career. It has helped over three million people by delivering insights and knowledge from those that work in industry to those who aspire to do so.

Careers Advice ClinicsOpen to members and non-members, our clinics come to you to offer one-to-one or small group sessions that take young people through Creative Choices, giving them the tools to search and access industry endorsed information, advice and guidance to support their career aspirations and provide inspiration.

Creative Choices Live!These events bring young people into the workplace to try out behind-the-scenes job roles and meet the staff doing them.

Creative Choices events are hosted throughout the year, bringing young people directly into the workplace. Previous hosts have included: Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; Lyric Theatre, Belfast; Welsh National Opera; Cambridge Junction; and New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich.

Ask An Expert – Live!We regularly partner with other skills and careers events, delivering ‘Ask an Expert’ advice clinics and panel debates at industry events including last year at the Museums + Heritage Show, International Jewellery London, Skills London and The Skills Show.


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“This has really helped build my confidence and was a great opportunity to go outside my comfort zone”

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The Backstage Centre and High House Production ParkThe Backstage Centre is a world-class training, production and rehearsal centre, situated in High House Production Park, Essex, alongside the Royal Opera House’s Production Workshop and Costume Centre. We can arrange tours, bespoke workshops and work opportunities covering all aspects of the curriculum in partnership with The Backstage Centre, and also broker links with other organisations on the High House site allowing students to develop skills and expertise needed to support the fast-growing creative industries.

Arts Award and ArtsmarkMany of our Skills Academy activities are of interest to groups and individuals working towards all levels of Arts Award, from Discover through to Gold. We have offered training for advisors at Discovery, Explore, Silver and Bronze levels, as well as support surgeries for those already delivering. Creative & Cultural Skills is the training agency for Wales.

We have also played a role in supporting our education partners who are on the Artsmark journey, offering support for enriching our education partners arts provision and ensuring the myriad of benefits brought by the arts are infused across the curriculum and the local community.


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“Inspiring event that highlights the power that apprentices can have on organisations in the cultural sector.”


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The Creative & Cultural Skills Awards

We believe that the phenomenal success of the creative industries is down to the people and organisations that work hard behind-the-scenes, providing skills and opportunities for the next generation.

Held annually in March, the Creative & Cultural Skills Awards shine a light on those who are making a difference. Winners are announced as part of a formal dinner and ceremony attended by leaders in the creative industries and education.

The Northern Ireland Creative & Cultural Skills Awards are held annually in the autumn and feed into the national event.

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The Training Provider of the Year AwardWe dedicate one award to training providers in order to recognise the crucial role they play in shaping our future creative workforce. The Training Provider of the Year Award celebrates further education colleges that show an outstanding commitment to training up young people to work in the creative industries.

The winner of the 2017 Training Provider of the Year Award was The Learning Co. from The Cornwall College Training Group. It was developed to offer a more inspirational and innovative solution to learners gaining real hands-on experience working within the creative industries as a freelancer or employee.

“What started as an initial idea in response to a growing frustration within both staff and students around how generic employability skills were being delivered has blossomed into a vibrant, energised and vocationally enhancing virtual company that does exactly what we hoped it would … it has successfully supported a wide range of projects that have enabled our learners to benefit from excellent work experience within a real context. This is not a simulation but a real preparation for the industry they aspire to go into as they are actually performing the roles as professionals.” Director of Curriculum, Cornwall College.

To enter the 2018 Training Provider of the Year Award and for more details, look at our website ccskills.org.uk/awards


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The Creative Industry Skills AwardAt the Northern Ireland Skills Awards in the Foyle Theatre, North West Regional College, the 2016 Creative Skills Award was won by Production Services Ireland (PSI) for its commitment to the development of their sector through the training of, and investment in, young people.

PSI has demonstrated this commitment through a wide range of different avenues with include independent careers meetings in schools, involvement in larger careers events, working with colleges and universities to ensure that students have the opportunity to experience working within a commercial company and taking on the very first Technical Theatre apprentices in Northern Ireland.

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How Can You Participate?

The National Skills Academy programme is offered to education members across the UK. Our members include schools, colleges and higher education institutions, and our services are used by young people, or those who work with young people, between the ages of 5 and 25. There are opportunities at both a UK-wide and local level, with support offered from our network of Skills Academy Managers based on the ground throughout the UK, meaning bespoke projects can be developed depending on level of membership.

You will need to be UK-based and be providing education or training to young people through a creative faculty or curriculum. Schools, studio schools, further education colleges, and universities are all welcome.

Skills Academy membership can be fundamental to supporting improvement, and being part of the network demonstrates a college’s commitment to the creative and cultural industries. Membership packages are tailored to meet the specific needs of members and start from £5,000 plus VAT, with one-off services available from as little as £300.

If you would like to become a member, or for more information on any of these services, please get in touch via [email protected]

www.ccskills.org.uk/network

Robert WestProgramme Director

Sara GrahamNations Director

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Our Industry Supporters

Hundreds of organisations and individuals from creative industries have supported our campaign to build a creative nation, and invested in future talent. A selection of our active supporters are shown below. We look forward to being able to offer even more authentic experiences for young people going forward:

T: 020 7015 1800E: [email protected]: @ccskills

Creative & Cultural SkillsThe Backstage CentreHigh House Production ParkVellacott ClosePurfleetEssexRM19 1RJ

Creative and Cultural Industries Ltd is registeredin England Charity no. 1105974

Creative and Cultural Industries Ltd is registeredin Scotland Charity no. SCO42165

We are grateful to our ongoing supporters:

national skills academy programme 2017-2018 · the national skills academy for creative &...

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