COVID-19 and Curious Minds Events
March 17, 2020
COVID-19: Bridging the Gap
April 3, 2020Curious Minds’ response to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on our region’s cultural education sector
As North West England’s sector support organisation for creative and cultural education, Curious Minds wants to act quickly to ensure our region’s cultural education ecology emerges at the other side of the coronavirus crisis as healthy as possible.
We are an established charity and, therefore, in a strong position to cope with the challenges that the coming weeks will bring. We recognise, though, that many smaller arts organisations and freelance arts practitioners are less fortunate, and will be finding the current situation extremely difficult.
We want to help. During this unprecedented period of crisis our team will be directing its energy and resources to supporting smaller organisations and individual freelancers that play an essential role in the cultural education workforce.
We are an established charity and, therefore, in a strong position to cope with the challenges that the coming weeks will bring. We recognise, though, that many smaller arts organisations and freelance arts practitioners are less fortunate, and will be finding the current situation extremely difficult.
We want to help. During this unprecedented period of crisis our team will be directing its energy and resources to supporting smaller organisations and individual freelancers that play an essential role in the cultural education workforce.
Lots of people and organisations are feeling ‘little’ at the moment. Too small to benefit from the protection of a government scheme, a funders flexibility, a network of supporters… but we know that in the creative lives of children and young people small is mighty – small is local, small is relationship-based, small is accessible, small is fleet of foot, small is approachable, small is essential.
Curious Minds wants to support the smaller (and essential) groups and individuals that make a vital contribution to the cultural education workforce in our region. These are our freelancers and organisations who don’t receive regular core funding from Arts Council England.
We have a few key initiatives in mind and are currently busy behind the scenes laying the groundwork, we hope, for them to happen. We are also talking to other partners with capability to support this part of the sector to see if we can join forces – (are you one of these partners? If so get in touch!)
Whilst we do this, we would like to share a flavour of our plans with you (below). They aren’t yet set in stone, with many details still to be decided, but watch this space for further news!
Curious Minds wants to support the smaller (and essential) groups and individuals that make a vital contribution to the cultural education workforce in our region. These are our freelancers and organisations who don’t receive regular core funding from Arts Council England.
We have a few key initiatives in mind and are currently busy behind the scenes laying the groundwork, we hope, for them to happen. We are also talking to other partners with capability to support this part of the sector to see if we can join forces – (are you one of these partners? If so get in touch!)
Whilst we do this, we would like to share a flavour of our plans with you (below). They aren’t yet set in stone, with many details still to be decided, but watch this space for further news!
In Good Company – A Curious Coalition
Coalition: a temporary alliance for combined action / connotes a coming together to achieve a goal.Curious Minds is keen to create alliances with anyone who shares our ambition to support the cultural education sector and in particular the smaller, unfunded organisations and freelancers who may have fallen through the gaps. We want to support them to navigate uncertainty and foster resilience. We are especially keen to work with those who have access to funding so we can pool our resources to make more of a difference. We have access to partnership investment moneys that can only be unlocked with a match funding.
Bridging The Gap Bursaries
We're offering CPDL bursaries to cultural education freelancers and small or community-based arts organisations, payable upon approval of a short application. This money should allow those in the cultural education community the space for their own development, and hopefully 'bridge the gap' between now and the receipt of any emergency grants or funding.More information here
