Nottingham's ChalleNGe Partnership and Cultural Capital: how do we ensure young people become informed and inspired curators, makers, audiences and ch

This collaborative research project will be conducted in partnership with NTU and ChalleNGe,
Nottingham's cultural education partnership. ChalleNGe was formed in 2017, responding to the Arts
Council's Cultural Education Challenge, which asked cultural learning stakeholders to find new ways to
partner one another to ensure that every child and young person has access to arts and culture (Cultural
Learning Alliance, 2015). ChalleNGe's 2019-2022 vision is to ensure Nottingham's diverse population of
children and young people are able to access cultural experiences and become advocates of culture
citywide. In this research I will analyse, evaluate and pursue the objectives, set by ChalleNGe,
investigating barriers to participation experienced by the city's young people and how these may be
addressed.
I am currently employed as a HE Business lecturer which extends to teaching on the CIPD professional
studies programme and the FE A-level Politics programme. I have engaged young people, adapting
delivery to ensure they feel involved in shaping their learning experience which affords me insight into
some of the barriers that may also be faced by the ChalleNGe partners. Requirements also include CPD,
ensuring subject knowledge is current and liaising with local organisations to explore employability
opportunities and guest speakers.
My vocational experience includes leading the community engagement programme in Nottingham over
five years, in partnership with Nottingham City Homes and their 'Creating homes and places where
people want to Live' project. This included ensuring local residents were engaged in the decision-making
process, and I conducted regular reviews to gain feedback on their experience. Other commitments to
local engagement included community participation events where responses to activities were collated
for analysis, and qualitative and qualitative research used to publicise successes and work towards
continuous improvement.
A BA (Hons) in Business and Management and a MA in Museum and Heritage Management have built on
my ability to produce robust academic research. I collected data for primary research and analysis,
including mapping the visitors' journey at Nottingham Castle as part of the transformation project, to
ensure it met visitors' expectations and the requirements of the Heritage Lottery Fund. I contributed to a
digital exhibition at the National Justice Museum to highlight archival material from its collection and
place it in a contemporary context to enhance visitor engagement. In each project I have conducted
inspiring the value of cultural capital is central. This CDA research project builds on my academic
expertise and professional experience.