Agenda item

Report of the Director of Learning & Engagement.

N.B. – to be read in conjunction with the non-public appendix at Item X.

The Board received a report of the Director of Learning & Engagement providing an update on performance over the past year and setting out the opportunities, challenges and plans for the coming period.

Members commended officers for the excellent work that had taken place over the past year, commenting that it was particularly pleasing to note the significant amount of Creative Learning activity that had taken place and the difference that it had made to such a large number of schools and individuals. Given the Barbican’s mission was about arts and learning both, it was vital to ensure that due weight was accorded to the real and lasting impact made in this area.

It was noted that it had been a very strong year, with the department having consolidated and built on previous activity to grow and expand its work. The engagement with some 35,000 people this year was particularly noted, as were the successful re-organisation of the department and the realisation of key strategic initiatives such as the associate schools programme and the expansion of the Barbican Box programme to Manchester.

With respect to the associate schools programme, it was confirmed that a key element was to develop legacy plans so that there was clarity around know what the relationship with the Barbican would be at the end of the three year period. This was designed to encourage schools towards a level of independence, mitigating against the risk of dependency on the Barbican for the continuation of programme; part of this was the organisation of participating schools into ‘clusters’, so that they were able to support each other and have networks in place at the end of the three-year periods.

It was agreed that there was real scope for doing more across digital platforms, with officers advising that they were particularly interested in exploring possibilities for models like the Barbican Box, which would facilitate further expansion, as well as moving some learning elements onto interactive platforms. The Director of Learning & Engagement added that this formed part of the Barbican’s overall Digital Strategy, in which digital learning would be a particular focus.

Responding to questions about the relationship with the several City schools and academies, it was advised that a Schools Engagement Manager was currently being appointed who would be looking at this very issue and the potential relationships that could be built.