Personal reflection on the Bridge programme from Nick Malyan

A blog from Nick Malyan, Bridge North East project coordinator. 

Signing up to work on the final three months of a three year programme might not typically be considered a wise move. But when the Bridge North East team contacted me at the end of 2014 to ask me about joining their team I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

I’d worked with various members of the Bridge team over the past two years in a few different capacities ; working with New Writing North on a projects as part of the Teaching Schools strand of work and also using a seed fund grant to develop a youth network at Empty Shop in Durham. I’d found Bridge’s approach to commissioning really refreshing. Every contract and project was built implicitly on trust and whilst direct delivery was never part of equation the team were never afraid to be an active partner; turning up to events and sessions and pitching in or taking part as appropriate. Even more importantly, they were happy to support you at any stage in a project – only ever being a phone call away regardless of whether it was development, delivery or evaluation.

I was particularly pleased to be asked to work on a programme of events that were all about sharing and celebrating Bridge’s work. Beginning in January I worked towards three conferences and a series of seminars; the Arts Award and Cultural Education conferences in February and the Knowledge Exchange and First World War seminars in March.
Working in this capacity put me in a unique and very enjoyable position. Despite having only been in the team three months the conferences brought me into contact with a who’s who of Bridge North East partners and projects meaning I’ve gained a real understanding of the partnerships that have defined Bridge’s three year programme. The seminars took me around the region and brought me into contact with museums and heritage organisations doing important work to educate children and young people about the First World War.

I had joked at the beginning of January about being able to spend three months travelling the region and showing off about lots of work I had nothing to do with. In reality my time with Bridge wasn’t actually all that far away from that! Due to my status as someone who’d been a partner first and knowledgeable member of the team second I found myself able to stand up and talk genuinely and enthusiastically about Bridge’s projects and partnerships – and what was lovely was to feel that enthusiasm reciprocated consistently. The events programme from January to March took the Bridge team around the region with venues in Newcastle, Northumberland, Sunderland and Tees Valley. Wherever we went and whoever we met there was always a feeling that I, and Bridge, were welcomed and our time was valued and words trusted – and that, more than anything, is testament to the partnerships that Bridge has built and nourished over the past three years.

The risky business of building bridges

Some personal thoughts from Leila d’Aronville, Bridge North East Senior Manager.

We are all writing personal blogs on our reflections of the last 3 years and it is harder than you think! There is so much that has happened and so many stories to tell, how do you choose just one? Or how do you manage to squeeze more than one into a blog that people might actually want to read?

I decided my theme would be risk…the risks we have taken over the 3 years, and how we have grown through our work, and also through mutual trust between colleagues.

The first risk we took was taking on the Bridge function. The Bridge function was a new role developed by Arts Council, and when we took on the role ACE didn’t know what they wanted Bridges to be, in fact I would go so far as to say they had unrealistic expectations…as did the rest of the sector. Cultural Education had gone from times of plenty (Creative Partnerships, Find Your Talent and Sing Up amongst those healthily funded programmes) to a small drop in the ocean. Bridge North East was functioning in one of the most deprived regions in England, but as we have a smaller population we were also doing it on a smaller amount of money than the other Bridges. In that first year the goal posts were moved a fair few times, and the landscape around us was also changing unrecognisably on an almost daily basis – with whole Arts Development teams being removed, the youth service crumbling before our very eyes and the way schools were developing never seeming constant.

Risk two was how we worked with colleagues. We could have decided on a very strict and stringent plan which everyone had to follow, however previous experience guided us towards one of fluidity and exploration. We had such a small amount of money to deliver such big targets over the three years of the Bridge, it seemed important we work WITH our colleagues to develop something that would work to fulfil more than just our aims, but theirs as well. Our intention of working in this way was that our partners would not need Bridge North East at the end of the three year period…we were ostensibly making ourselves redundant. Morally it was the only thing to do. We didn’t know if there would be any more funding, and if there was it was likely to have a different focus, so anything we set up needed to be sustainable.

Our third risk was around how we funded projects. It was important to us that people have different routes in to our programme, and so we made sure we had different funding streams. Some funding was large and needed the have a strategic lead (in many cases Local Authority) and some smaller and put out via an open tenders, so anyone from the sector felt like they could approach us with an idea. These smaller pieces of funding have been some of our most successful – see blog on Small Scale Investment.

Collectively as a team we have become very good at approaching risk. Obviously we work to mitigate it, but to be risk averse in this climate is more dangerous than taking risks. We have been in a really enviable position whereby we can provide support to those wanting to take risks…I really hope that carries on, and those risk takers can help others to take the plunge. At times of greatest austerity we must not shy away from innovation and exploration. It is at these times that the most exciting things can occur.

Some personal reflections from Helen Green, Head of Bridge North East

Sitting down and reflecting on the last three years to write a personal blog, there is such al lot that I could write and probably should write about – the partnerships and the work that has been developed, the risks that have been taken and the learning that has been gathered. But pleanty of words have been dedicated to this.

Instead I want to concentrate on the Bridge North East Team – this amazing bunch of people whom I have had the absolute pleasure of working with over the course of three years,  whom have taught me so much.

Very few of us work in complete isolation and all too often we forget that sitting on the desk next to us or across the office are peers and colleagues who have an amazing amount of knowledge, wisdom, experience and talent that is different to our own and that we can learn so much from. We see these people day in and day out, and its when you realise that you aren’t going to be working with these people any more that you appreciate what an absolute gift you have been given.

It’s not just about different skills though, its about what can be achieved when all this different skill and knowledge is pulled together, working towards the same outcome or a shared goal. For the last three years I have held the position of ‘Head’ of Bridge North East and speaking really honestly it is a job title that I have struggled with; its not the responsibility that has made me feel uncomfortable it is the fact that the work of the Bridge North East has been delivered as a team. A team who have supported and carried one another, challenged each others thinking, supported long term strategy planning, shared concerns and shared successes.

At a recent away day the team put a sticky wall up and plotted out the work of Bridge North East over three years – it was chokka block full – full of ups and downs, highs and lows. This exercise is called ‘The Wall of Wonder’. We stepped back, all of us and it genuinely was wonderful. Across the team, there was a palpable sense of really great achievement.

So what will I take with me from my time with the Bridge North East team – ask for help, take a risk, share your thoughts, share your concerns, be kind to one another, share the vision and always always have a kettle, a never ending supply of tea and coffee and lottery kitty, just on the off chance.

Never stop investing in your team, they are the greatest asset.

Eileen Atkins blog

Some personal reflections of her time in the Bridge North East team.

I have always loved history for as long as I can remember and I can trace that back directly to visiting great museums and heritage sites as a kid. They fired my imagination, made me want to explore and find out new things. For me, museums are houses for people’s stories and the greatest story is the development of our cultures and civilisations. I am extremely lucky to be able to work in a sector that I feel very passionate about.

At the end of 2012, I grabbed the opportunity to take on a secondment from Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM) to become the Museums Manager for Bridge North East. Initially the post was part time so I continued as Learning Officer at Discovery Museum but I quickly got hooked on the work at Bridge North East. Primarily because I got to work with lots of inspiring museum educators across the Region but also because the team and the wider work of Bridge was amazing. My secondment kept getting extended and finally in April 2014 I was able to turn it into a full time secondment. I can honestly say it has been the best year of my career.

I have learnt so much from the wealth of experience and talent in the Bridge North East team and through the diversity of the work. It has opened my eyes to how other arts and culture organisations work with schools and how schools want to engage with them. Museums really stand their ground amongst these and in some areas are leading the way but there is so much to learn from cross sector partnership working.

I have met many committed, enthusiastic museum educators. They are working in a period of uncertainty in terms of funding and governance but fundamentally their shared goal to provide great learning opportunities for young people makes them strong. I have met teachers who are very eager to work more with museums and are passionate about how museums can enhance their teaching and broaden their pupils’ experiences. One of the best parts of my work is where I can bring people together and help give them the space and time to have those conversations, think creatively about their schools programmes and help them to access knowledge and new ideas to support their work.

I know I am returning to TWAM armed with new knowledge and experience that is far more varied than I previously had. I am a convert to Arts Award because I have seen how young people can benefit from it in practice and I know it can shape new approaches and ways of working. I have a better understanding of the range of great arts and culture in the Region and the power of working collaboratively. I have seen through the seed fund projects that a little bit of funding mixed with encouragement and opportunity can go a very long way. I have also seen how large strategic approaches like the work with Sunderland can lead to a real fundamental change in how organisations plan and develop collectively.

Being part of the Bridge North East team has shaped and will continue to shape my career and, in that way, I can carry on contributing to the amazing legacy the programme leaves for the North East.

Have you ever played snakes and ladders?

Jeanne Hale – A personal reflection of her work with the Bridge team, both from within the team and as part of the Advisory Group. 

Have you ever played snakes and ladders? If you have, you will know that it takes a while to get from square one to the top of the board and that it can be a very frustrating game to play. The exhilaration of climbing ladders to find that a snake will take you back to where you started and leaves you feeling very frustrated.

I sit here at the top of a ladder having worked as Head of Bridge North East to cover Helens maternity leave) in the last year of the programme.  As this programme comes to an end, and the region awaits the new Culture Bridge NE at TWAM, we have been asked to write a reflection on our time at Bridge North East for our archived website.  I am not quite sure where to start so thought that I would start at the very beginning of the game.

There once was a world without Bridge organisations.  It was the time of poverty after plenty with the demise of Creative Partnerships and a shift in the curriculum focus in schools so that the arts subjects no longer had the currency they previously held.

Three years ago ACE, in their wisdom, decided that they needed to find a solution to this and Bridges were created to do exactly what it says on the tin; be the bridge between the education and the cultural sector. What would the Bridge organisations, ten across the country, do? That was the question everyone asked. They were asked to connect young people with ‘great arts and culture’ so off they went to discover what this was and how it could be done. ACE didn’t really know how this would work and the last three years have been a journey of intrepid exploration up ladders and down snakes both for ACE and the organisations involved.

My involvement with BNE began three years ago when I was invited to be part of the Regional Advisory group. This was a representative group of practitioners from across the region but we outnumbered the Bridge team by about 3:1…whilst the meetings were a great opportunity to network and to find out more about the programme I think it soon became clear that the team needed to re think this group and its role. A smaller group, leaner and meaner, or leaner and keener perhaps, was created from applications received.

This smaller advisory group chaired by Mark Robinson bought me much closer to the work of BNE. It was apparent from the meetings that ACE were still not clear on the direction and whilst across the country each Bridge organisation was beginning to create a body of work that responded to local need, ACE was trying to drive the national agenda. It was also apparent that the expectation of organisations across the region could never be met on the budget that was allocated to the North East. So there began a lot of climbing ladders and sliding down snakes whilst trying to tactically and strategically plan and manage the programme.

The Bridge team have navigated this complex game board, effectively steering a course that has produced some inspirational and innovative work with and for children and young people. This work has been delivered by partners across the region from both the cultural and education sector

Taken in that context, despite the snakes that emerged and the challenges encountered, this team have achieved a tremendous amount. The ladders they climbed built relationships and partnerships across the region, they have developed strong networks of practitioners that now dot the landscape of the North East and will drive a lot of this work forward.

The impact and legacy of Bridge North East will be felt across the region and gives the new Culture Bridge NE at TWAM a head start …perhaps still on the snakes and ladders board… but not at square one.

Children’s Creativity & Caffeine: Steven Walker’s July Blog, 2014

With these next few blogs, I’ll be looking at how I make efforts to kick start creativity with my children (2 and 3 years old), and look at some of the challenges and gems from the local arts and cultural (and wider creatively engaging) offerings around the North East. In this blog I thought I’d set the scene:

Suspended in welcome sleep…“It’s time to play! Wake up, it’s time to go downstairs…Wake up, Daddy wake up! Daaaaady!”, is a common demand, enthusiastically belted out  most mornings in our house by my captors, pre 6am.  Little hands patting and shaking my sleep deprived shoulders (and face!), trying to wake me up. I just want to sleep, blissfully enjoying the sleepy ignorance of the torrent of tasks awaiting me which begin the moment I get out of bed. The kids find their way out of their beds and creep into mine like tiny cute zombies in the night. They wriggle, pull shapes, and have me teetering on the edge of the mattress, only hanging on by the top half of my body as a counter-weight. I could write a whole blog just on creative ways to use your body as a counter-weight to secure your place in the bed…luckily for you though, I will not.

How can they have such energy and enthusiasm for the day ahead, the second they wake up? I certainly do not.

I’m a lot grumpier and stressed out about things than I was before I bore dependents. When you have children, there is a continuum of worries and an insane scale of operational planning across all aspects of your life; which only lessen on a scale marked in decades as they grow and become more independent.

I’m 31 and have two small children. I’m a coordinator at Bridge North East. I have a sporty hobby outside of work. I consider myself to be a creative person (although I’ve entirely stopped creating things on a non-paid, for pleasure basis). Juggling priorities (and also getting through the ‘low priorities’ backlog) of work and family is a constant challenge.

Now then, parenting is about being the best mum or dad you can be in the circumstances you find yourself. Sometimes it’s simple. Other times it’s the hardest thing in world; it might not be what we anticipated or ever imagined. But that doesn’t really matter – because there’s no simple, straight forward way to do it. There’s not a Haynes Manual (Oh, wait, I think there is a joke one). The parents and the children are constantly learning what it is to be and sustain a family, and at times, it’s an artform to maintain ones mental mettle.

There’s a plethora of writing from parents and carers from across the world (see my colleagues very good blog here) on the infinite spectrum of cultural rights, being time poor, problem solving, and social labelling which working parents must navigate through to a) pay the bills, b) struggle to be effective in the workplace; and c) provide a nurturing environment for the children.

I, like my colleague, understand the importance of being surrounded by creativity, learning how to be creative, and experiencing the creativity of others. Creativity makes you smart (true fact), helps build a problems solving mind and helps us think and express ourselves with a diverse cultural context…All of which we have to do on a pretty zero-budget basis with my children. Doing so with activities at home, in gardens/farms, at free cultural venues, museums, and carefully calculated annual tickets for venues we can visit repeatedly throughout the year. Money is tight. Time is tight. Thinking space is tight with exhaustion always on the horizon. This is a common scenario for many parents… But why is it so challenging to create and protect time to nurture the imagination in our busy daily routines? – Especially as it’s what makes us human, has helped us evolve.

Creativity might be defined as putting things together in novel ways, or seeing the world, or a given problem, with fresh eyes. All of us need access to creativity to solve the problems of daily life, and I believe that everyone is creative – although some people are genetically predisposed to certain talents: an artist’s eye, for instance, or perfect pitch, or a writer’s way with words, etc.

We can’t give people talent, but we can train the eye, the ear and the mind, and we can help our children gain access to a creative way of seeing. We can also help them gain the concentration, competence, perseverance, and optimism necessary to succeed in creative pursuits.

With this in mind and after setting the scene, in the next blogs I’ll be looking at:

1. Some great art and culture I’ve taken the kids to; in the shape of Michael Rosen’s adaptation of Pinocchio, by Hiccup Theatre which we saw at Arts Centre Washinton
2. ‘Daddy day-care’
3. Family Explorers Project – A family engagement research project across regional arts and cultural venues
4. Sharing a few links for relevant reports and websites

Leila’s Blog: April 2014

Now I am not an Über techy, but I do pride myself on keeping reasonably up to date with new technology and digital developments. I have been thinking a lot about the digital strand of Bridge work in our final year of phase 1.

When I first became interested in digital it was during a time when I was Media and PR Officer for Sage Gateshead. I was interested in the opportunities around digital as a means to communicate with a wider audience. Now I am also interested in digital in its creative form, and how it can develop a user generated journey into creativity if given the right platform. I am also very aware of my lack of understanding of ‘digital’, of the possibilities, and most importantly how we can and should be support cultural and education professionals to help young people challenge its perceived limitations.

I work in an industry with children and young people at the heart of it, and these children and young people are leaps and bounds ahead of us with their understanding of the possibilities of digital technologies.

A colleague told me of how her 6 year old son uses Mine Craft. At 6 years of age he has built his own world in Minecraft and does research online to be able to build more complex additions. At 6 his reading and writing is good for a child of his age, but to get around the more complex language barriers he might come across, using Google he has managed to work out how to use the voice activated search function to find Youtube clips so he can build more extravagant worlds. I was also quite encouraged to hear that he had built a theatre, and on top of that theatre he had built a swimming pool “just for the actors” – he clearly knows how to look after his artists! This is creativity, imagination and interpretation of the world at its best!

This story proves that young people are moving at a speed us older ones can’t even fathom. Children are growing up in an age where technology is no longer new; having a smart phone is something most children own by the time they have reached year 6 at primary school; and life without the internet seems like a weird and wacky concept – with cries of “what do you mean you would have looked it up in books?”

The arts and education sectors need to get with it! Of course there are child protection issues when it comes to using public digital platforms but this should not be an excuse that is used for not having a go. Cultural organisations need to work WITH young people to create more opportunities for them to interpret the world around them using technology. Local Authorities need to stop stunting their schools and libraries by making them adhere to unnecessarily strict firewalls and internet usage policies.

The fear that the internet and digital technologies is developing a generation of monosyllabic, un-socialised young people is old and archaic. Of course some people are going to sit in their bedroom playing computer games by themselves; but what is more likely is that they will be playing online with people from all over the world; or they’ll be part of a conversation around their love or hatred of a particular thing; they will learn to hone their critical analysis skills so they can review things that they love and hate; they will develop networks of people online, which may then meet up IRL (in real life); they will read e-books and watch theatre, films and listen to music online; they will get recommendations of things they might like from other people just like them…the list is endless.

Back to the world of Bridge North East – I am really excited by the possibilities of our Digital Seed fund which we will be launching in May. The fund is an opportunity for people to have a little bit of space to play and even to make mistakes *shocked face*. We really hope that people will develop unlikely partnerships and the developer community and cultural sector might team up, along with young people. Watch this space…