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Our work with the Cultural Sector

We work with cultural organisations, grassroots providers and freelance teaching artists to unlock every child’s right to incredible arts and culture as a vital part of their everyday learning and life. Together, we help children and young people grow as artists, audiences and citizens, empowered to take up space in the cultural life of their communities. 

Our role is to connect and amplify.

We broker partnerships between schools and cultural partners, spark creative collaboration and champion the vital role of teaching artists in education and society.

Our expertise widens access, strengthens inclusion, and helps build a more diverse creative workforce. 
Whether you’re designing learning programmes, building school relationships or leading youth-led projects, we’ll help you put young people’s voice and creativity at the heart of your work.

With the right support, cultural learning can ignite curiosity, inspire pride and open doors to careers in the arts and beyond. 

Relevant programmes

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Alternative Saturday Jobs

Paid work experience placements in the arts and cultural sector. Helping young people learn about creative career paths and get a 'foot in the door'.
Young People Programmes Careers & Skills

Curious Works

Curious Works offers creative sector-focused, practical, skills development and work experience opportunities for young people in Wigan and Leigh. Running for a second year in 2025-26.
Young People Programmes Careers & Skills

Curious Citizens

Curious Citizens focuses on opening doors for children who would not normally have access to such experiences nor opportunity to grow their cultural capital outside school.
Education Creative & Cultural School Improvement Creative Wellbeing Programmes

Hope Streets

Hope Streets took groups of young people on an expedition into the past; to delve into the hidden history of their local places and spaces.
Creative & Cultural Organisational Development Creative Wellbeing Programmes

Relevant networks

Curious Creatives Network

Do you work within arts, culture or education? Are you looking for an inclusive and inspiring space to grow your creative network?
Networks Creative & Cultural

CultureEd Impact Network

Are you a freelance teaching artist or delivering cultural and creative education in a cultural venue? Want to know more about impact and evaluation? Join us to meet peers, share practice and hear about evaluation, evidence and impact across the sector.
Networks Creative & Cultural Impact & Evaluation

Local Cultural Education Partnerships LCEPs

These partnerships bring together a diverse range of stakeholders, including cultural organisations, educational institutions, local authorities and community groups. Their active collaboration is key to to creating a more cohesive, accessible and relevant local offer for the children and young people.
Networks Education Creative & Cultural

Upcoming events and courses for the creative and cultural sector

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Your State of Mind Matters

Come join us in a space to reflect, recharge and connect with your peers navigating a freelance career.

For Freelancers
10 Oct and 6 Feb
Book now
A diverse group of people with the title: 'The Hour' laid over it.

The Hour

A bi-monthly, one-hour gathering for artists, educators, producers, creative and cultural workers.

For Everyone
16 Oct - 13 Nov
Book now
A gig from an audience perspective bathed in red/orange light.

Culture is Bad For You?

Is culture still bad for you? Five years on, the authors of Culture is Bad For You return with new evidence on who benefits from culture and who is still shut out.

For Everyone
23 Oct 14:00 - 16:00
Book now

Symposium: Teaching Artistry in Action

Join us in Liverpool for a day of keynotes, provocations, artist-led conversations, panel discussions, and networking as we elevate and advocate for teaching artistry.

For Cultural Sector
2 Dec 10:00 - 16:00
Book now

Recent news and opinion

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Creating Wellbeing

Every October, World Mental Health Day invites us to pause and reflect on how we nurture wellbeing, for ourselves, for others, and for the communities we serve. At Curious Minds, we’ve learned that creativity is one of the most powerful tools we have for doing exactly that.

Crafting Connections

Reflecting on 5 years of making a difference for families through craft packs, Programme Manager, Louise Hesketh, celebrates the partnerships that made it possible.

Seeing is Believing

The Chance to See Fund is already supporting many young people in Wigan and Leigh as they pursue their passions and talents. We’re proud to share some of their stories; shining a light on what’s possible when creativity is made accessible to all.

Creativity according to Psychologists

In this second blog accompanying his PhD research journey, Saul Argent explores how academia defines and examines the often blurry concept of creativity..

Creativity, curiosity and professional artists in schools

The first instalment of a blog by Saul Argent, a doctoral researcher supported by Curious Minds and Goldsmiths UoL.

Get involved with Curious Works

Are you aged 16-25 and based in Wigan Borough? Looking for a creative part-time job? Curious Works could be right up your street. Applications are now open.

The art of empowerment

Falinge Park High School in Rochdale delivered data-informed creative wellbeing activities with its pupils and community as part of Curious Minds’ Artsmark #Beewell programme.

A second year of Curious Works for Wigan and Leigh

Curious Minds is delighted to have secured funding to run its Curious Works programme in Wigan and Leigh for a second time.

Reimagining child wellbeing: A call to action for the UK

The latest UNICEF Innocenti Report Card offers a stark wake-up call for anyone invested in the future of children in the UK.

Remembering Jude Bird

The professional legacy of Jude's time at Curious Minds remains woven through much of our current work. She was a dedicated mentor, a trusted advisor, a fierce advocate and her impact will be felt for a long time to come.

Demonstrating social value with Theatre Porto

In this blog we explore an evaluative framework called Social Return on Investment - a clear, credible way to confidently communicate value.

Who gets to be creative

Emma Bush reflects on the findings of the CLA's 2025 Report Card, and the growing inequality in arts education

Rebalancing the Curriculum

A Curious Minds response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report – March 2025

Tuning in, giving back

The recent spotlight on Ezra Collective at the BRIT Awards reminds us of something fundamental: early access to arts and culture transforms lives. Thats why we co-created the Chance to See Fund with The Lathums. Can you be part of the change?

Harnessing the power of poetry

As we mark Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, we're pleased to share an update on Rhyme & Reason - a Curious Minds programme designed to support the mental well-being of young people in school.

Responding to the Curriculum and Assessment Review

We are pleased to see recognition of the urgent need to reverse the decline in creative and arts learning in schools, particularly the state school sector. We think it important to acknowledge there are no easy fixes for complex challenges.

Celebrating Cultural Education Award Winners: Tuneful Chatter

The Inspirational Local Partnership Award recognises the best in cross-sector partnership collaborative working. In 2024 it was won by the Doncaster-based outreach programme, Tuneful Chatter.

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