Operating Plan for Participation, Opportunity & Community 2007-8 to 2010-11
1 Strategic aims addressed through this operating plan:
Aim 3 – “To further the societal as well as the commercial role of theatre and performance, working with and within a wide range of communities to develop theatre and performance that is purposeful and progressive”
Aim 4 – “To ensure that we admit students with the greatest potential, regardless of background, so that in turn our graduates are employable, entrepreneurial, active and positive contributors to society”
2 Introduction to operating plan
The college recognises the strength of its radical tradition in working within community settings; and that the expertise and interests of its staff; alumni; and professional links equip us in developing the relationship of theatre and performance to a range of communities is something of huge value to students, practitioners and scholars from a wide range of backgrounds.
The link between community-oriented work and progressive, innovative performance has always been strong, providing a clear criterion of communicativeness and use-value in the development of students’ evaluative ability; whatever their chosen field of work. These principles have existed within the college since its foundation and still inform our work. (see Aim 1)
Our vision of theatre is wide-ranging and inclusive; working within the Thames Gateway and contributing to urban regeneration through performance is an area of expertise not only to local students, but to students from across the UK, and a particular interest to students from abroad, whether from post-industrial, ‘developed’ countries or from emerging and post-colonial nations. (see Aim 2) This three-tiered approach, which seeks to integrate what may appear to be separate agendas, informs a number of strategic aims.
Widening participation in recruitment is therefore seen as an integrated activity, and a fundamental part of our approach to training and education for the future of the performance industries. It follows naturally from our aspirations for the industry of which we are a part. Our work therefore includes careers awareness raising; specialist skills development; activities to promote and inform specialist HE; and work to enhance retention and performance. As a small institution we have to be very selective in the projects we undertake, and therefore aim to develop projects in partnership with other specialist colleges as much as possible.
The college understands the concept of community in a number of ways, all connected with notions of identity and culture. Firstly ‘communities’ refers to geography: areas where people live, work, and play. The College values our own identity as part of Sidcup and the London Borough of Bexley, and of Southeast London; combining access to Central London while allowing for space and reflection. We also recognise that our location is not always attractive to students from more urban backgrounds. The college is, however, well situated to be accessible to most of the old and new communities of the Thames Gateway development area.
The second sense of ‘communities’ is grounded in self-identity and ideas of equality and diversity: whether through ethnicity, gender, orientation, disability or social class. The college has always recognised that there are conflicting views on how to achieve recognition and promote equality of opportunity, whether through integration through ‘colour-blind’ and equivalent policies, or through exploring the contribution of particular attitudes and heritages. As an institution whose function is dependant on cultural product, we are aware of the importance of cultural expression; and that ideas of value and quality often mask the prioritisation of some cultural forms over others. We therefore seek to be inclusive and open in areas of genre, and to engage ourselves and the industry in dialogues. We also recognise that our geographic location is an issue in engaging with some, more urban, communities. This sense of communities as areas requiring special attention to ensure both equality and diversity is of particular importance in encouraging diverse recruitment. (See Aim 4)
The final senses of ‘communities’, is of communities of practice, an issue which is developed elsewhere through Aim 1; and increasingly the notion of online communities, part of the concern of Aim 5. While our traditions have been very much wrapped up in drama, increasingly artforms have been expanding and blurring their boundaries, meaning that popular performance approaches now need to include the recognition of the importance of rock and world music performance; physical performance including mime and dance elements; ‘industrial’ theatre (e.g. events, product launch, exhibitions) and other forms of installation, and carnival and street performance.
3 Resources, Communication and Quality Assurance
Activity in the area of participation, opportunity and community is lead by the Director of Community Outreach, supported by an administrator shared with Knowledge Transfer. In addition, links are shared with other strategic agendas too, especially Research and Learning and Teaching. Within a small institution where staff undertake multiple roles it is a positive benefit in being able to co-ordinate activity.
It is our policy to use recent graduates, particularly those in ‘start-up’ companies, to deliver outreach projects. Apart from supporting the development of these companies, the youthful enthusiasm of new industry members provides a positive role model for young people. Their work is supported by the promotion of student ambassadors.
4 Summary: 2007-08 outcomes; progress to date
Links with community
The College has continued to maintain its links with London Borough of Bexley; and with schools and colleges within the Borough and within Thames Gateway. The College continues to run successful Young People’s Theatre workshops. Two performances were signed for the deaf community; and links were made with local disability advisers to help promote this facility. The College is now a member of SHAPE disability network; has had a student of placement there and will be developing disability arts marketing plan involving them.
With the Borough we have hosted community based music project delivered by Point Blank; there are plans to deliver similar schemes being developed. Students and programmes continue to deliver performances and workshops in local schools on a regular but informal basis.
Discussions have been held with local teachers and careers advisers regarding CPD activity; changes in personnel have been disruptive to development in this area; but there have also been problems in recruiting to these courses when they have been proposed.
A project was developed with local shopkeepers to support their local fun day; and also to build a series of hanging shop signs.
Develop partnerships and relationships
We have been working closely with two Lifelong Learning Networks, and with Arts Aimhigher in London (AAHIL), to build partnerships and progression agreements for under-represented groups. This has been the major area of activity over the year, delivering significant contact with target young people.
The AAHIL project ceased its funding in July: up until that point we had contributed to the delivery of three major partnership projects: Portfolio Advice Day; Meltdown; and Barking area schools technical workshops (the last through our graduate company Bohemian Events). The project continues in modified form thanks to support from University of the Arts London, and we continue in active partnership, with repeats of the first two activities and the development of a project to deliver Arts Awards.
We are consolidating our regional partnerships, and are working closely with NALN to extend and harmonise work with regional FE colleges. Feedback is positive, despite teething problems with auditions; and there would appear to be an opportunity to develop top-up and MA progressions .
With Creative Way we have been very active in pursuing progression agreements within Thames Gateway which are developing well, particularly in the area of music technology as a result of commissioning an outreach tutor to do work on this area. We contributed to their annual conference and were partners in two research projects, with Lewisham and with Barking Colleges. We have also been awarded research funds to explore diversity in Actor/musician training, with Lewisham’s Music department.
Outreach has also been promoting and supporting the development of a project with Tara Arts and local Bengali women’s group for a short tour in spring 09.
Outreach continues to contribute to the Theatre Futures project, both through its website and through the annual symposium.
Integrated recruitment
Disability and race equality criteria were built into student bursary qualifications. However, this contributed to an unwarranted complexity, so the scheme has been simplified on the basis of general eligibility. Indicators show a healthy increase in diversity among performing programmes; other programmes are not doing so well, to the point where a specific project is needed in the area of technical theatre.
The College’s disability profile remains strong, exceeding the benchmark quite comfortably as a result of a concerted effort towards disclosure, and candidates being aware of the supportive nature of the college.
The College also demonstrates reasonably strong recruitment with students “at risk” of dropout – the profile is of a widely divergent ability range, rather than only being a recruiting institution. Students from working class backgrounds (NS-SEC 4-8) ; from state schools and low participation neighbourhoods are around benchmark figures; good for what is perceived to be a strongly middle-class discipline area.
Curriculum development
The Outreach department is contributing strongly to level 2 study on a number of programmes, with a series of video-based lectures on community arts projects. The material is also being made available online. The department has also been closely involved in discussion around developing VLE’s .
The development of curriculum in this area is awaiting the programme rewrites which are planned for the coming year, and a revised qualifications framework will be subject to the award of TDAP. Partnership development has been put on hold as part of the current financial prudence .
Issues of diversity in the curriculum content have been addressed by:
· completing a disability agenda audit of programme documents 2007
· building expertise in the development of inclusive curricula and pedagogies 2005-7
· completing a diversity in curriculum content audit related to symposia research based initiatives 2007
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We have continued to support minority ethnic students in the College, through student/staff Equality and Diversity forum. The forum has enthusiastic student support, and a desire to be an inclusive group; but provides BME students with opportunities to network and to propose developments in the College. A recent request has been for voice coaching in Caribbean accents.
The Outreach administrator post has been upgraded to allow for a role in promoting inclusion, as well as delivering schools projects (subject to equal ops recruitment).
Work is continuing on monitoring our visiting professionals list to ensure a diverse pool of expertise and of role model for students.
