A Retrospective

Art Centre
University of
am East London
College Thurrock
www.creativeway.org.uk The Creative Way ™
 Contents
1 Introduction 5
The Creative Way and this Report 6
The Thames Gateway and the Education and Skills Landscape 7
The Creative and Cultural Industries and Skills Needs 9

2 Progression 15
The Thames Gateway Guarantee of Assured Progression and 16
The Creative Way Progression Agreement Scheme
Developing Progression Agreements 18
Communicating Progression Opportunities 22
Progression Agreements – Benefits and Challenges 23
Extending Progression Opportunities 31

3 Partnerships 37
Opening up Opportunities for Learners 38
Partnership Working – Benefits, Challenges and Opportunities 42

4 Creativity, Innovation and Employer Engagement 45

Innovating to Meet Creative Sector Skills Needs 46
Enhancing Employment Opportunities – 49
The Importance of Work Experience

Looking Forward … 54

Resources 56

Gallery 63

Creative Way Staff and Partners 100

Section heading 2 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 1
 Acknowledgements
This book draws on the expertise, energy and creativity of teaching and
support staff working in universities, colleges and training providers across the
Thames Gateway. Inevitably, we have only been able to provide a snapshot
of their work. More information can be found at www.creativeway.org.uk

We have also drawn on research studies undertaken on behalf of The

Creative Way by Dr Pamela Percy and Tony Hudson from Continuum at
the University of East London (Moving On: A study to explore the reasons
why learners following level 3 vocational programmes in the creative arts
subject areas choose not to progress to programmes at level 4 – 2007);
by Sid Hughes (Pathways into Learning in the Creative Arts – 2009); and by
James Kewin, Tristram Hughes and Carole Sanchez of CfE (Understanding
Employer Demand for Skills: a research study into CCI businesses in the
Thames Gateway – 2009). Each of these research studies were insightful
and invaluable in guiding our work.

But – most importantly – a shout to everyone who contributes to the work

of The Creative Way!

Acknowledgements 2 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 3

 Section 1

Introduction

Section heading 4 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 5
The Creative Way and this Report
The Creative Way is a partnership of universities, colleges and training
providers working together to provide progression routes through education
and training and on into employment in the creative and cultural sectors in
London and the Thames Gateway.
Established in 2006 with funding from the Higher Education Council for
England’s Lifelong Learning Network programme, our job has been to tackle
the skills and qualifications deficit across the Thames Gateway region through
piloting practical measures to better connect learning opportunities and
strengthen linkages with employment and creative sector business activity.
We work with a broad range of strategic partners including, Government
Departments, Regional Development Agencies, local strategic partnerships
and Urban Development Corporations, plus Sector Skills Councils, the Arts
Council and numerous employers.
Since 2006 The Creative Way has put in place a pan-Thames Gateway
progression agreement framework which is improving opportunities for
learners to move into and through higher education. New courses tailored
to vocational learners and the skill needs of the creative sector have been
developed, and links with employers have been strengthened. We recognised
that more needed to be done to raise awareness of work and learning
opportunities in the creative sector, and developed a creative courses and
careers website (www.creativeway.org.uk) linking this to a programme of
off-line information, advice and guidance support.
This book looks at our work in more detail. Creative and innovative practices
are highlighted, ongoing challenges explained, and priorities for the future
are outlined. Contents are structured into three main chapters, with a gallery
and resources section providing further information on projects and activities
sponsored and supported by The Creative Way.
_ The Progression section explains The Creative Way Progression
Agreement Scheme and gives examples of how progression
pathways have been developed and negotiated by partner
institutions. We highlight the views of students and tutors
and focus on some of the benefits and challenges of aligning
curriculum to improve progression. We conclude by outlining
some future priorities for extending progression opportunities.
Introduction
_ The Partnership section looks at the value of collaborative work
and explores some of the challenges in converting strategic
commitment into practical, partnership activity. We highlight
some examples of subject based networks and partnerships
and give views from staff and students about collaborative
working. We outline ongoing work to strengthen links with
employers and conclude by suggesting that partnerships and
collaborative activity can offer real opportunities for institutions
to optimise specialisms and resources and meet new and
different learning needs.
_ The Creativity, Innovation and Employer Engagement section
gives examples of new provision designed to support creative
business activity and open up new opportunities for learners
to move into creative sector employment. We highlight the
importance of work experience as a key element in building
learner confidence and sense of employment direction and
explore some of the challenges in extending work experience
opportunities. We conclude by arguing that as the UK moves
out of recession, innovative measures to facilitate entry-level
employment are of vital importance.
To set the scene and put our work in context, we start with an overview of
the Thames Gateway and its education and skills landscape, and give an
outline of the economic importance of the creative and cultural industries
and their reliance on a highly skilled workforce.
The Thames Gateway and the Education
and Skills Landscape
The Thames Gateway is Europe’s largest regeneration zone. It stretches
along the banks of the Thames from East London through North Kent and
South Essex. Over the past few years places and communities have been
changing rapidly and over the next decade, the pace of change will almost
certainly accelerate as the economy shifts towards knowledge intensive
sectors and occupations.
The majority of new jobs to be created will be knowledge intensive and
require higher level skills. Most will need at least a Level 3 (A-level standard)
6 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 7
 qualification and indeed by 2020 half of the region’s employment will require
a Level 4 (graduate level) qualification.1
Current evidence shows us that only just over 21% of Thames Gateway
residents are qualified to Level 4 or above, meaning that there is a
significant gap between the skills and qualifications levels in the Thames
Gateway and that which the region requires. This matters on a number
of levels, but critically, it means that unless skill and qualification levels
improve, the opportunities brought about by increased numbers of skill
and knowledge intensive jobs will be missed in the Thames Gateway and
pockets of unemployment could become a worryingly persistent problem.
Participation in higher education is increasing in the Thames Gateway but
entry to higher education rests on levels of educational attainment in schools
and colleges and again, evidence shows that although performance is
improving across the Thames Gateway, results at Level 3 are below those
for the greater south-east.2 Furthermore, there is a particular issue in the
Thames Gateway relating to progression between Levels 2 and 3. Evidence
shows that there is a drop of 9% between Thames Gateway young people
achieving at Level 2 at age 16 and Level 3 at age 19 – compared to a drop
of 1% in London.
Turning specifically to the creative and cultural industries, we see the sector
prioritised as key to the future economic prosperity of London and the
Participation in Thames Gateway.3 The next section looks in more detail at the skills needs
higher education of the sector, but the main point to note here is that right across its many
is increasing in the different specialisms, the sector is overwhelmingly knowledge intensive,
Thames Gateway high skill and graduate-entry.
Research undertaken in the Thames Gateway in 2005 showed the draw
of courses in the creative sector, even among learners considered “hard
to reach”.4 The study showed that compared with the rest of England, in
the Thames Gateway there are more learners on Level 3 programmes in
creative subject areas and, in contrast with the general Thames Gateway
picture, progression to Level 3 from Level 2 is consistently buoyant. However,
the same study showed that the rate of progression from Level 3 to higher
education in creative subject areas falls below rates for the rest of the country.
Making the move through different levels of education can be a shaky
process but the move through to higher education can sometimes be
particularly challenging. However, the continued decline in lower skilled
Introduction
employment opportunities means that progression into and through higher
education is of increasing importance – for individuals, for communities and
for regional economic prosperity.
Thames Gateway universities and colleges have recognised the importance
of reducing the complexity of progression and in 2006 gave their commitment
to developing a Guarantee of Assured Progression as a device to smooth
the transition to higher education. The Guarantee of Assured Progression
seeks to ensure that every course in the Thames Gateway – particularly,
but not exclusively at vocational Level 3 – will lead directly to a place on an
appropriate Level 4 qualification.
Chapter 2 looks at how The Creative Way has developed a Progression
Agreement Scheme to implement the Gateway Guarantee of Assured
Progression and make the move into higher education a smoother and
less complex process.
The Creative and Cultural Industries and Skills Needs
The creative and cultural industries form a complex sector, defined by the
Creative Industries’ Task Force in 1998 as “activities which have their origin
in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have the potential for
wealth creation and job creation through the generation and exploitation
of intellectual property.”5 The thirteen sectors identified were: advertising,
architecture, the art and antiques market, crafts, design, designer fashion,
film, interactive leisure software, music, performing arts, publishing,
software, TV and radio.
Some of these sub-sectors might not necessarily recognise themselves
as part of the creative industries – architecture for example, has more in
common with construction than with art and antiques – and many people
working in the sector might not necessarily think of themselves as working
in creative occupations.
Nonetheless, the point here is that when it provided a working definition
of the creative and cultural industries in the late 1990s, the government
signalled its intention to engage with creative and cultural activity for the
purpose of economic gain, essentially as part of its wider engagement with
the global knowledge economy.
8 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 9
In the late 1990s, the Creative Industries Taskforce drew attention to the
significance of the sector, noting that it was worth £60 billion, supported
1.5 million jobs, was growing at twice the rate of the rest of the economy
and had some notable but hidden successes, the UK games industry for
example, with 25,000 jobs and earnings of £500 million in exports.6
There have been considerable challenges over the past decade – foreign
exchange earnings have stalled in some areas and employment has fallen
in others. However, despite such challenges, the creative economy has
remained at the forefront of national and regional policy and digital and
creative industries are identified by the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills as a key growth sector.
In 2007, the Government published ‘Staying Ahead’, which provided a
detailed economic analysis of the links between creative and cultural
industries and the wider economy.7 This was followed in 2008 by the
“Creative Britain” strategy paper, which reaffirmed the significance of the
creative sector and set out a series of measures to strengthen the education
and skills pipeline. These included: 5 hours a week of cultural activity for
all children and young people, 5,000 ‘creative apprenticeships’ a year
by 2013, better support for young people leaving higher education and
moving into the creative industries and support for research and knowledge
transfer.8 The same paper called for Regional Development Agencies to
develop mechanisms to support creative industries.
Most recently, Government’s response to recession continues to highlight
the importance of the creative sector, and demand for creative and
cultural services looks set to grow internationally from an increasingly
well educated and sophisticated consumer base. In this context, the 2009
Digital Britain report emphasises the critical importance of a first rate
digital and communications infrastructure as a prerequisite to the success
of the UK’s creative industries and elsewhere there are references to the
importance of the financial sector adapting to support the growth and
expansion of creative and knowledge based industries.
There is then, a broad consensus about the place of the cultural and
creative sector in the knowledge economy and its importance with
regard to future national economic prosperity. However, debates about
the skills needs of the sector and how skills needs might best be met,
continue apace.
Introduction
As a high skill and knowledge intensive sector, what is not questioned is
that right across its different specialisms, the creative and cultural sector
relies more than most on the knowledge, skills and talent of its workforce.
Moreover, it is generally accepted that the creative and cultural sector is
predominantly graduate entry and therefore relies extensively on higher
education to supply its workforce. The question most frequently under the
spotlight concerns the extent to which our current education and training
system actually supplies the creative sector with the skills it needs to enable
The creative and business activity to flourish.
cultural sector relies
more than most Since 2001, Sector Skills Councils have had the role of representing the
on the knowledge, employers’ voice in shaping education and training provision and have
skills and talent articulated future skills needs through Sector Skills Agreements. The
of its workforce main Sector Skills Councils covering the cultural and creative industries’
sector are, Creative and Cultural Skills (advertising, crafts, cultural heritage,
design, literature, music, performing and visual arts); Skillset (creative
media) and Skillfast 9 (fashion and textiles). Although each Sector Skills
Council works across a different footprint, each emphasises the need for
education and training to be relevant to industry need and to facilitate
diversity through opening up vocational and work-based routes into
industry. Each Sector Skill Council works with further and higher education
providers in different ways, but currently higher education providers are
not obliged to ensure provision is developed within the frameworks they
have developed.
We can see then, that ‘creativity and culture’ is a complex field of activity.
Its importance as an economic sector is growing, highlighting complex
questions about the role and effectiveness of our education and training
systems in the supply of a knowledgeable, skilled and creative workforce.
In the Thames Gateway, regeneration and economic development depends
on the shift to knowledge intensive employment, with a very real need to
improve general levels of educational attainment and the skills base of the
resident population . We are seeing improvements in qualification levels
beginning to come through and as noted above, in creative subject areas,
progression from Level 2 to Level 3 is actually above the national average.
And yet, progression to higher education remains disappointingly low
across all subject areas, even in the creative sector, where research has
shown us that learners are engaged and passionate about their subject.
10 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 11
Progression to higher level education is of real and critical importance if the
transformation of the Thames Gateway is to be achieved to its full potential,
if the skills supply to support knowledge and skill intensive industries is not
to be constrained and if local people are to benefit fully from regeneration
and economic development.

It is against this complex and challenging background that The Creative Way
has been operating. The following chapters explore our work in more detail.

1 Learning and Skills Council Strategic Analysis

2 Thames Gateway Skills Framework (2008) DCLG

3 Rising to the Challenge The Mayor’s Economic Development

Strategy for Greater London Public Consultation Draft (2009);
Thames Gateway Economic Development Investment Plan
(2008); EEDA; SEEDA; LDA

4 Feasibility Study – Lifelong Learning Network for the Cultural

and Creative Industries (2005) DTZ Pieda Consulting

5 Creative Industries’ Task Force, DCMS (1998)

6 Creative Industries’ Task Force, DCMS (1998)

7 Staying Ahead (2007), DCMS

8 Creative Britain (2007) DCMS, BERR, DIUS

9 From April 1st 2010 the UK’s fashion and textile sector will
be represented by Skillset.
Progression to higher level
education is of real and critical
importance if the transformation
of The Thames Gateway is to
be achieved to its full potential.

Introduction 12 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 13

 Section 2

Progression

Section heading 14 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 15
The Thames Gateway Guarantee of Assured
Progression and The Creative Way Progression
Agreement Scheme
Currently, the skill and qualification levels of the resident population of
the Thames Gateway are below averages for London and the greater
South-East.10 As the introduction explained, accelerating improvements in
education and skills attainment is a key priority, and while improvements
are needed across all levels of the education and training system, the
focus for The Creative Way has been on increasing the numbers of people
with a Level 4 (graduate level) qualification through improving the rate of
progression to higher education.
A number of factors shape and influence progression and entry into
higher education:
_ Firstly, individual factors such as prior educational experience
and attainment, socio-economic and family circumstances,
employment status and perception of future employment
opportunities;
_ Secondly, national policy on education and student finance.
In relation to finance, consideration of fees and loans and
learners’ attitudes to debt are significant. In terms of policy,
until recently the drive has been to expand entry to HE, with
the skills needs of business becoming ever more central
post-Leitch;11
_ Thirdly, the policies and practices of individual institutions,
including admissions policies, the curriculum and student
support offer and progression arrangements with partner
schools and colleges.12
Individual colleges and universities across the Thames Gateway each
have their own autonomous arrangements with regard to admissions
and entry criteria and many have successful progression arrangements
with local schools and colleges. However, recognising the need to speed
up improvements in progression to higher education, in 2006 the regions’
universities and colleges, working through the Thames Gateway Further
and Higher Education Action Group, gave their commitment to a Guarantee
of Assured Progression within the Gateway area. The intention of this
Progression
Guarantee is that every Thames Gateway resident who achieves a Level 3
qualification will be given the opportunity to study for an appropriate Level 4
qualification. The overall aim is that every course in the Gateway, particularly
but not exclusively at vocational level 3, will lead directly to an appropriate
Level 4 course – essentially creating a regional progression framework to
increase and open up learning opportunities for local people.
The Creative Way Progression Agreement Scheme was developed as a way
for institutions to implement the Thames Gateway Guarantee of Assured
Progression. Focusing particularly on the curricular aspects of progression,
the Scheme is based on a set of core principles:
_ institutional autonomy with regard to admissions policies and
admissions criteria and any entitlements institutions might wish
to apply to their own programmes;
The overall aim _ shared commitment to ensuring that learners with vocational
is that every Level qualifications are treated equally and fairly in the selection
3 course in the process for entry to higher education;
Gateway will
lead directly to _ willingness to develop selection criteria to assess the learners’
an appropriate potential capability and their ability to benefit from the specific
HE programme to which they have applied;
Level 4 course
_ willingness to clearly set out the selection criteria for entry onto
each programme within the Progression Agreement Scheme,
recognising that these may differ between programmes
and/or institutions, but ensuring that criteria should be easily
understood by learners and their advisers.
The Progression Agreement Scheme is built on formal agreements
between providers of Level 3 and Level 4 programmes, with each individual
progression agreement relating to a named programme of study. Each
Agreement sets out what the learner needs to achieve and evidence for
entry on to a named Level 4 programme and each Agreement allows for
specific guarantees to be given to learners (for example, the guarantee
of an interview or offer of a place).
The next section looks at how progression agreements have been developed
and negotiated by partner institutions and highlights the views of some of
the staff and students who have been involved.
16 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 17
 Developing Progression Agreements
In 2007, The Creative Way commissioned a detailed mapping exercise
and gathered data on all creative and cultural provision at Levels 3 and 4
delivered by Creative Way partner institutions. Data was structured by course
title, qualification, level, provider and location. Creative Way staff were then
able to use this curriculum map and course data to develop a detailed
knowledge of provision across the Thames Gateway and identify potential
progression pathways.
At a very early stage, our analysis of provision indicated that relatively poor
rates of progression were not simply a function of lack of provision – with
only one or two exceptions, the curriculum map showed a good range of
Level 3 and 4 provision in the creative sector across the Thames Gateway.
We therefore focused our attention on the curricular aspects of progression
and developed The Creative Way Progression Agreement Scheme as a
mechanism to identify pathways built on aligned curriculum, compatible
teaching, learning and assessment strategies and an appreciation of the
equipment and facilities relating to particular programmes of study.
Sometimes progression pathways are immediately obvious. Frequently
associated with specific areas of practice and/or employment, such
progression routes are often indicated by course title and usually offer a
close curriculum match between provision at Levels 3 and 4. In such cases,
progression agreements are relatively straightforward to negotiate.
> For example, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
worked with Mid-Kent College to develop a progression
agreement which offers a clear and cohesive pathway into
Trinity’s FdA in Musical Theatre from the BTEC National Diploma
Performing Arts (Musical Theatre). Similarly, Canterbury Christ
Poor rates of Church University has developed a progression agreement
progression were with Bexley College to enable learners to move onto their
not simply a function BA(Hons) Photography programme from the College’s BTEC
of lack of provision National Diploma Photography course. In the field of music
technology, the University of Kent has worked with Newham
6th Form College (NewVIc) and a progression agreement
is now in place which offers a pathway from the College’s
BTEC National Diploma in Music Technology into the University’s
BSc (Hons) in Music Technology. In the design subject area,
Progression
London Metropolitan University has worked with South Essex
College13 to create a progression agreement which provides a
route into the University’s BA(Hons) Furniture and Product Design
from the BTEC National Diploma in 3D Design run at the College.
Details of these and all other current progression agreements
can be seen at www.creativeway.org.uk
Course titles, however, are not always a completely reliable indicator of
course content. Courses with the same or very similar titles can sometimes
have very different content and in such cases the process of curriculum
alignment is critically important if progression to higher education is to
work for learners.
> Canterbury Christ Church University has a range of relatively
new higher education programmes in music and was keen
to build progression routes from vocational courses. Using
the Thames Gateway creative curriculum map, potential
progression routes were identified and through structured
dialogue with partners (Brooke House 6th Form College (B6),
Mid-Kent College, North-West Kent College and Point Blank
Music College) the University shaped curriculum developments
to match the content of partners’ Level 3 vocational programmes
and meet the interests and aspirations of the learners studying
The process of on each identified progression pathway.
curriculum alignment
is critically important Development activities ran over an academic year and centred
if progression to on close working relationships between teaching staff in FE and
higher education is HE. The first exploratory phase of work involved FE and HE staff
to work for learners coming together in a series of workshops to learn more about
each others’ programmes as the basis for the shared process
of curriculum development which followed.
Early on, this process highlighted a number of concerns
about the extent to which it really would be possible to create
coherent and clearly visible pathways facilitating progression
from vocational programmes at Level 3 into academic study
at Level 4.
FE tutors expressed doubts about the content of Level 4
study and its relevance to their students, whom they thought
18 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 19

The use of familiar
language would,
at a stroke, engender
a sense of continuity
in the skills and
techniques students
were developing
would reject the prospect of an ‘academic’ course, with
its emphasis on essay writing. FE staff felt theirs were
vocational students, who, if they were going to consider
higher education at all, would be looking for a ‘vocational
sounding course’ which would help them move into their
chosen area of work.
This concern about the perceived abstract and theoretical
nature of higher education led to a rigorous interrogation of
course content at Levels 3 and 4 and resulted in the realisation
that while the content of the Level 4 courses would appeal to
vocational learners, the language used to describe it would
not. Gradually the HE team came to realise that the language
used to describe the content and approaches to learning
were critical and that the use of familiar language would,
at a stroke, engender a sense of continuity in the skills and
techniques students were developing.
So, Canterbury Christ Church University changed the name
of its new flagship course and BA(Hons) Creative Music
Technology replaced the more opaque sounding ‘Sonic Arts’
as the course title. At the same time, the University changed
module titles and descriptors and reviewed information
provided to ensure clear and accurate guidance was provided
about what individual study programmes entailed and what
would be required of them as prospective students.
FE tutors also undertook to review the content of their courses
and the teaching and assessment methods used, with a view
to better preparing students for higher education study.
Collaborative work between FE and HE staff also highlighted
the importance of some of the ‘non-academic’ aspects of
progression and a series of student workshops were held to
reassure and counterbalance the general fear of the unknown
and unfamiliar – a fear which FE tutors in particular felt was a
significant factor in holding back their students.
This process of partnership working led to a package of
cohesive progression agreements and students are now
progressing from FE courses to HE programmes – 22 students
progressed to Canterbury Christ Church University in
2009–10. In the words of one East London student who
made the journey:
“ Canterbury Christ Church was a link that my college had,
and I came down to visit one time and I thought this place
was a real breath of fresh air, something that would be good
for my peace of mind … The equipment is of a very high
standard here, I don’t have this at home. My advice to anyone
is exploit it while you can … What I enjoy most is that it opened
up a new avenue in the way I think about music; the way
I look at my own music, the way I listen to other people’s music,
and the direction I want to take my music; it’s a different,
more imaginative avenue it’s opened up my mind to.”
Many Level 3 programmes aim to prepare learners for a wide range of
courses at Level 4. In such cases, the detailed knowledge that Creative
Way Programme Managers have of the curriculum offer right across the
Gateway has enabled many partner institutions to develop new progression
opportunities for learners.
> For example, South Essex College offers a BTEC National
Diploma in Fashion & Clothing (Fashion Promotion), which
the College is now developing to align with specific Higher
Education programmes. This will equip students with the
knowledge and experience to apply for subjects as diverse as
Photography, Style Futures, Design, Graphics, Marketing and
Fashion Promotion at SEC, both through internal progression
routes within the College and to Level 4 courses at University
for the Creative Arts, Canterbury Christ Church University and
London Metropolitan University.
> Similarly, the BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts
(Technical Theatre) run by Barking & Dagenham College, offers
progression routes into a range of BA(Hons) programmes at
Rose Bruford College, including Costume Production, Lighting
Design and Stage Management). It also prepares students
for entry onto Foundation Degrees and BA(Hons) Degrees
in Technical Theatre at East 15 (University of Essex), and a
BA(Hons), in Creative Arts for Theatre & Film at University for
the Creative Arts.

Progression 20 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 21

 Communicating Progression Opportunities
Identifying progression opportunities, building new academic partnerships
and brokering progression agreements between institutions is important –
but it is even more important to communicate opportunities so that learners,
their parents and advisers know exactly what is on offer.
Progression to HE can be a shaky and challenging process, particularly for
vocational learners, all the more so when the subject of study is in what is
often perceived as the risky area of the creative industries. Concerns about
the financial implications of higher education affect most students, but such
concerns can be exacerbated for young people who are uncertain about
employment opportunities and entry rotes in a sector without traditional or
recognisable employment patterns.
Our research showed us that learners want to know where higher level
creative courses might lead them in terms of employment. As well as
information about employment prospects – what jobs entail, earnings
prospects and entrance requirements – learners also want to know
the detail of what they will study at HE level and what exactly will be
required of them.
Our research also showed us that careers’ advice services tend to have a
relatively low profile among learners, who are instead relatively confident
of their ability to find out about what is available to them. Young people
value accessible, accurate, up to the minute and detailed websites. Advice
from others – tutors, parents, advisers and peers – is useful, but frequently
tends to be sought out once an initial decision has been reached as to
the next step.14
> Against this backdrop, we developed The Creative Way
courses and careers website specifically to provide accessible,
It is important accurate, up to the minute and detailed information about
to communicate creative careers and courses. We gathered detailed profiles
opportunities so of industry sub-sectors and occupations and used course
that learners, their mapping data to provide the core information about
parents and advisers courses on offer across the Thames Gateway. The site
know exactly what contains information about progression opportunities and
is on offer progression agreements. The creative profiles pages bring
information alive through interviews with a wide range of
creative practitioners.
Progression
The site is now widely recognised as an innovative model
of good practice in the provision of courses and careers
information and feedback from students, tutors and advisers
indicates the site is proving an effective way of communicating
useful information.
“ The homepage of Creative Way is powerful, direct and easy
to navigate. It is a very visual site in keeping with the dominant
learning style of creative students.”
“ The Creative Way website is a fantastic and easy tool that
can be used by anyone. The information is clear and well
presented and the site is very easy to navigate.”
You can visit the site at www.creativeway.org.uk
Progression Agreements – Benefits and Challenges
It is too soon to assess whether the Thames Gateway of Guaranteed
Progression and the linked Creative Way Progression Agreement Scheme
will result in long term improvements in driving up the rate of progression
to HE and raising the region’s skill and qualification levels. However,
progression to HE is now increasing and we do know that learners,
tutors and advisers appreciate the increased clarity that progression
agreements provide.
> “ It’s brought the HE experience closer to the learner and
reinforced the value of progression to HE …” _ HE tutor
“ Progression Agreements really help. They provide really
clear information about what students need to do to move
into HE.” _ FE tutor
“ This has given me a much clearer understanding of the path
I wish to take into Higher Education …” _ FE student
Teaching staff in particular value the process of working with others to
connect learning opportunities.
22 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 23
 > “ The past year has been so beneficial in terms of building
some very strong relationships in our region. To be able to
meet FE teachers has given me so many new and exciting
ideas as to how my work can better support them and
ultimately their students.” _ HE tutor
“ Working with HE teaching staff has really helped us to plan
ways we can prepare our students for HE.” _ FE tutor
“ We’ve got similar views on a lot of things but also diverse
views … that’s made us strong as a partnership.” _ HE tutor
“ This reminds me why I came into teaching …” _ HE tutor
However, significant challenges persist.
Traditionally, higher education courses have been designed with a ‘model’
student profile in mind – typically an A-level student with a minimum of
5 GCSEs at grades A–C, including Maths and English. We have had years
of discussion and debate about parity of esteem, and yet vocational
courses still seem not to be awarded the same status as academic courses.
All too often students following vocational programmes still find themselves
categorised as ‘non-traditional’ when it comes to applying to HE.
Learners, tutors and The introduction of Foundation Degrees might have been expected to open
advisers appreciate up progression opportunities for students entering higher education from
the increased clarity vocational courses. However, many teaching staff comment that the original
that progression aim that Foundation Degrees should be vocationally oriented with a strong
agreements provide element of employer involvement, has not in practice, always happened.
Turning to pre-University qualifications, the recent development and
introduction of the 14–19 Diplomas seemed to promise a vocationally
oriented alternative route into higher education but already questions are
being asked as to the extent to which this new qualification provides an
adequately robust preparation for HE study. This potentially undermines
the new qualification and maintains the A-level as the gold standard.
Evidence from our work seems to indicate that it is not simply lack of interest,
aspiration or motivation that limits progression and we are now beginning
to see real benefits coming through from the careful process of aligning
curriculum and supplementing this with appropriate student support
Progression 24
measures. Where this happens, progression to HE is a smoother process
for vocational students.
However, work across The Creative Way partnership has also surfaced
questions about the extent to which alignment of the ‘vocational curriculum’
with the ‘academic curriculum’ can achieve the increase required in higher
skills attainment.
Our work has shown that many students who choose to study in creative
subject areas have learned to define themselves as ‘non-academic’ and
many have a distinct preference for ‘applied’ or ‘practical’ rather than
‘academic’ learning. They flourish in informal learning settings on flexibly
organised vocational provision, which provides the opportunity for highly
practical and creative work. Teaching staff in higher education report that
in their skill and passion for creative work, students progressing from
BTEC courses shine and can often start their higher education courses
with greater levels of practical skills than their A-level counterparts.
A-level students, however, have other kinds of skills and confidence
and ultimately, the orientation of A-levels to higher education means the
move into and through higher education is often a smoother process for
students from an A-level pathway than it is for those coming through from
vocational qualifications.
Some of the richest work undertaken across the Creative Way partnership
has focused on entry requirements, curricula adjustments and study skills
development to minimise the huge leap that many vocational students
make when moving from college to university.
“ The kind of students who excite us most tend to be the ones
from non-traditional backgrounds, so we’ve had to think really
hard about our entry processes, and whether there are things
that we’ve put in place out of habit that actually are barriers to
some students because of their experience and background;
nothing to do with their ability. Little things, like if we give
students sheet music, that presumes all sorts of things that
aren’t necessarily fair or helpful; so is there another way we
can do it that avoids that, but still tests their ability to perform
the music. It’s changed how we think about the audition
process, in good, interesting ways; and, actually, that starts
to then beg all sorts of interesting questions about the course
The creative industries make the heart beat faster 25
 as it progresses, even up to level 6 … What’s the point of me
asking my level 3 student to sit down and write an essay or
something, if I’m not going to be bothered about their writing
skills per se – they’re going to be musical theatre artists.
So, what are the implications for that at level 6? Should I still
be asking them to do dissertations? Should I be smarter and
think about other ways of them demonstrating their academic
prowess in performance?” _ HE tutor
Some HE institutions have begun to question the extent to which some of
their programmes make the most of the skills and capabilities of students
with a leaning towards practical, vocational learning. In some cases, this
has resulted in the HE institution taking steps to develop a different kind of
programme, more suited to students with a preference for applied learning
and coming through to HE from vocational study. Such developments
are particularly encouraging, given the seemingly stubborn persistence
of differences in the experience and achievements of students in HE
with apparently similar levels of creative ability but who have followed
a vocational rather than academic route at Level 3.
> East 15 Acting School (part of the University of Essex since
2000) runs a technical theatre degree course which was
launched in 2004. From the outset, the two-year FdA course
with optional BA (Hons) top-up year was designed as a
practice-based course with an emphasis on learning through
practical application. The intention was to develop a course
which would reference traditional theatre apprenticeship-style
training but which would allow for progression to a higher
level of training appropriate for undergraduate work.
As the course became established, East 15 realised that
the course could offer real opportunities to students
whose backgrounds and inclination were more ‘practical’
than ‘academic’.
However, the School recognised that the course was
relatively unknown to a large number of schools and colleges,
particularly in relation to what it felt were the less traditional
progression routes into HE from BTEC and HNC programmes.
At the same time, East 15 staff felt that although industry links
were established with work placements offered to students,
Progression
the course would benefit from a higher profile with employers
to boost employment prospects for graduates.
Development funding from The Creative Way enabled East
15 to develop working relationships with partner colleges to
strengthen progression pathways from relevant vocational
qualifications. It also allowed staff to focus on curriculum
development so that course content was more closely aligned
with that of Level 3 vocational qualifications and updated to
bring it into line with current professional practice, thereby
improving employability.
The project proved useful in enabling links to be made with
partner colleges – although East 15 staff noted the practical
difficulties involved in attempting to run developmental
activities with partners at the same time as delivering a heavily
practice-based technical theatre course. Not withstanding
such problems, good working relationships were established
with partner colleges and East 15 staff gained a deeper
understanding of how training delivered by colleges aligns
closely with its own industry-facing, highly practice based
course. New progression pathways were identified and
students were accepted onto the East 15 course from
vocational programmes in partner colleges.
Equally significantly, the process of working with partner
colleges enabled East 15 staff to introduce curriculum changes
designed to better prepare learners for employment. The
course team reported that the technical theatre course had
previously allowed students to chose any subjects from
a range that were not necessarily congruent choices and
therefore not in the best interests of either graduates or
The process of working employers. For example, skills in sound without congruent
with partner colleges skills in Lighting resulted in a less employable graduate than
enabled East 15 staff one with both Sound and Lighting skills.
to introduce curriculum
changes designed to The technical theatre course team began by consulting
better prepare learners existing students through a series of student focus group
for employment discussions and surveys regarding their employment
aspirations and skills base. Desk-based research of online
job opportunities was conducted and curriculum development
26 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 27
 consultations culminated in a series of meetings with staff
and student employers.
Arising from these consultations the technical theatre course
team proposed amendments to the course structure using
established strands to guide students towards making good
vocational choices of compatible options.
Some theoretical written work was taken out of the curriculum
to provide scope for a greater emphasis on research and its
application to production processes as this was thought to be
more relevant to technical theatre. Methods of assessment
were redesigned to place more emphasis on students’ ability
to present arguments orally and to reflect on their own practice.
Curriculum development was completed and in place by
the beginning of the academic year 2008–2009 and has
been well-received by students, work placement providers
and employers.
> Elsewhere in the field of performing arts, Rose Bruford
College and Lewisham College were interested in expanding
progression opportunities for National Diploma Performing
Arts students.
Rose Bruford’s Actor Musicianship Programme was developed
to meet an identified need within the theatre industry.
Recognising that entry onto higher education music courses
traditionally favours students who have benefited from extra
curricular musical activity and can be problematic for students
with non-traditional music making skills, the staff team at Rose
Bruford College sought explicitly to develop a curriculum which
moved beyond the playing of ‘traditional’ musical instruments
and which integrated urban music techniques.
Working with tutors from Lewisham College, Rose Bruford
staff aimed to devise methods to facilitate the progression of
students with ‘non-traditional’ music making skills onto the
Actor Musicianship programme at Rose Bruford. The project
team planned to do this through a series of practice based
workshops culminating in a performance of a new play called
Progression 28
“Success” by Nick Drake as part of the National Theatre’s New
Connections Festival. The aim was to enable Lewisham tutors
to develop a strand of interdisciplinary work to enhance their
curriculum and the progression potential for students and at
the same time to enable Rose Bruford tutors to further develop
their curriculum and teaching and learning methodologies.
The performance gave the opportunity to demonstrate the
applications of this collaborative approach.
It was this process of
joint working which The performance was successful, coming second in the
ultimately led to both National Theatre’s New Connections Festival. The result was
partners confronting that progression opportunities were expanded with both
the limitations of FE and HE tutors believing that ongoing work should see
curriculum alignment increased numbers of learners moving through. It was the
and adjustment workshops and the process of joint working, however, which
proved critical.
The workshops provided a rich experience for both FE and
HE staff, enabling them to work with each others’ students
and so develop a close working relationship and a detailed
understanding and appreciation of each others courses and
teaching methods.
It was this process of joint working which ultimately led to both
partners confronting the limitations of curriculum alignment
and adjustment. In the words of the Rose Bruford staff team:
“ The question remains: what happens to those students who
cannot demonstrate at interview an ability to study vocational
performance at HE level? In the case of students without the
requisite skills this question might have a simple answer:
they are not suited to this type of study and would be better
advised to continue in another direction. But if the students
on this project are in any way typical, however, the answer
seems to be far more complex. The majority of the Lewisham
students we have worked with have demonstrated strong
potential as creative and capable students of performance.
This is made possible by the high levels of pastoral support
and specialist, interactive teaching provided by their teachers.
The students are given very strong boundaries and an
appropriate level of discipline and rigor balanced with hugely
The creative industries make the heart beat faster 29
 time consuming and tangible pastoral support. In this
environment they thrive and I have found them to be open,
adaptable and gifted students. For many however, their
levels of focus, self-confidence and self discipline are not of
a level suitable for study on an HE vocational actor training
programme. They are also not in a position to be able to
demonstrate their level of skill within the constraints of the
current audition/interview procedures of most HE institutions.
The resulting dichotomy is that students like these have the
potential to develop life enhancing creative skills; however,
for a number of complex reasons, many do not possess the
requisite competencies to gain entry onto the programmes
that can develop these skills.”
The focus of the partnership between the two institutions
sharpened somewhat in the face of this analysis.
The teaching teams in both institutions reaffirmed their
commitment to the continued development of progression
between vocational and academic programmes and
highlighted curriculum and study skills development and
work on interview and selection procedures as key areas
for continued collaboration.
However, staff at Rose Bruford College concluded that a
different form of HE provision might be needed to enable
vocational students to benefit fully from HE study. Rose
Bruford College is currently exploring new models designed
to broaden its HE offer.
Progression
Extending Progression Opportunities
Across The Creative Way partnership, some innovative work is now
beginning to establish alternative progression pathways with some
extremely interesting work now emerging which is focused on broadening
the HE offer beyond the traditional under-graduate degree.
As illustrated above, some notable work is underway in the field of
performing arts which chimes with current debates about tensions between
practical training and academic education, and what might be required,
and in what balance, for future creators, performers and producers.15
> At Lewisham College staff teams working in the performing arts
field are exploring alternatives to conventional, academically
oriented higher education as a preparation for highly skilled
employment in technical roles in live performance.
Starting with a concern about the extent to which some gifted
students are prepared for higher education.
“ A university course is not for all. Sometimes we make
successful matches, sometimes we are squeezing round
pegs into square holes …”
Why should a high and asking a question
level technical skill be
grounded in a Level 4 “ … Why should a high level technical skill be grounded in a
academic qualification level 4 academic qualification – or even tied to one?”
– or even tied to one?
The staff team at Lewisham are focusing on building
relationships with employers and creating opportunities for
learners to gain all-important work experience. A Passport
Scheme was developed as the beginning of a professional
portfolio, which allows students to record work experience
and references alongside qualifications. The approach has
been welcomed by students:
“ I found learning at work was a lot easier than learning at
college, because I learnt skills straight from professionals in
a real work space.”
30 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 31
 Employers are also responding favourably:
“ Your students are more receptive and adaptable than students
who have spent three years studying theory and practice at
drama school.”
> Working in a different area of specialism – art, design and
craft – staff at the Mary Ward Centre have also recognised the
need for an alternative to the 3-year, full-time degree. In this
case, development work has focused on developing a higher
skills offer to meet the needs of adult learners on the journey
to becoming a professional artist.
“ The majority of our students are adult learners who have
commitments which mean they are unable to afford the
high costs of University. Many don’t see that the outcome of
higher education matches the fees charged for it … Whilst this
might seem an unnecessarily harsh view, as older learners,
our students are inclined to set high standards and have
high expectations.”
The Mary Ward Centre set out to explore the development of
a ‘faster’ higher education route and one tailored specifically
to prepare learners for self-employment as artists and
creative practitioners. The overall aim was to develop a new
flexible Level 4 course which would combine creative practice
development with business skills training to enable learners to
take the next steps to becoming professional arts practitioners.
As a means to research learning needs and support the
design of the new course content and structure, the Mary
Ward Centre ran two pilot courses which provided important
insights and enabled teaching staff to focus on a number of
key issues. Some of the challenges had been anticipated –
for example, the perennial challenge of ‘work experience’ in
professional arts practice. The approach taken here was to
develop partnerships with a broad range of arts organisations,
galleries and individual artists and to develop work experience
opportunities. Work experience ran alongside structured
learning designed to enable students to progress their own
creative practice.
Progression 32
Other, less obvious, challenges emerged as the pilot courses
progressed. One significant dilemma involved the delicate
process of integrating group work within a course which
had as its overall aim the objective of preparing learners for
independent practice. Students responded with customary
imagination and set up a website for communication and
collective promotion (www.pparty.info)
Ultimately the combination of complex and conflicting
regulatory frameworks and cuts in funded student places,
have conspired to stall the development of the planned new
Level 4 course.
However, the resounding success of the pilots, persuaded the
Mary Ward Centre to adapt the proposal and run a one-year
accredited course with OCN/QCF accredited business units and
the College remains committed to the longer term development
of a flexible Level 4 offer. In the words of one student:
“ The fact we are here, at the point of opening an independent
body of work with a degree of confidence, that we are
making something people want to see and engage with,
is probably the best testament to the course and the skills
we’ve developed. The tutors never made success in the art
world sound easy but it is, even so, worth pursuing and that
is something we have done.”
Equally important developments are now underway to foster more cohesive
structures to hold various progression opportunities together. Much of
the work in this area is focused on strengthening links between informal
learning providers and formal education establishments. As noted earlier
in this chapter, creative and gifted young people can all too often struggle
in an academic environment and can fall through gaps and drop out of
formal education. Many of these young people, however, are attracted to
short courses in informal learning settings and with appropriate support,
guidance and encouragement, they can move beyond short courses to
further training and education.
> “ Having this HNC in partnership with Canterbury Christ church
University, we’ve now got qualifications ranging from level 1
through to level 4. It’s really an alternative progression route
The creative industries make the heart beat faster 33
 for those that may not have wanted to go down the traditional
path. They can still get qualifications all the way through to level
4, and then on to a degree course. The benefit of that is that it’s
an entirely different way of learning, but they can still achieve
exactly the same qualifications. So, hopefully we’ll engage a
different type of learner, and one that wouldn’t have already
been engaged with what’s on offer in mainstream provision.”

The next section explores partnerships in greater detail but in concluding this
section it is important to note that collaborative work between educational
partners has been absolutely fundamental in building opportunities for
learners to progress. As we turn our focus to sustaining progression
pathways and extending the model of progression agreements to other
key sectors, a strong Thames Gateway partnership will continue to be
vitally important.

10 Thames Gateway Skills Framework (2008) DCLG

Leitch Review of Skills (2006) HM Treasury

11

12 Source: Moving On: A study to explore the reasons why

learners following Level 3 qualifications in the creative
arts subject areas choose not to progress to programmes
at Level 4 (2007) Dr Pamela Percy & Tony Hudson for
The Creative Way

13 South East Essex College merged with Thurrock and

As we turn our focus to sustaining
Basildon College with effect from January 1st 2010.
The new institution is South Essex College.
progression pathways and extending
14 Sid Hughes (2009) Pathways into Learning in the
the model of progression agreements
Creative Arts
to other key sectors, a strong Thames
A Contribution to the Government’s HE Debate,
Gateway partnership will continue to
15

Nicholas Hytner (National Theatre) (2009) available at:

www.dius.gov.uk/higher education/shape and structure/
he debate be vitally important.

Progression 34 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 35

 Section 3

Partnerships

Section heading 36 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 37
Opening up Opportunities for Learners
Partnerships and collaborative working are an established feature of the
education scene and in the Thames Gateway there are several examples of
high profile, strategic partnerships which have extended locally accessible
education opportunities and successfully placed further and higher
education at the heart of regional regeneration.
> The Universities at Medway partnership, bringing together the
University of Greenwich, the University of Kent and Canterbury
Christ Church University, was the first collaborative venture of its
kind in the country and already this partnership development
has had a beneficial impact on local participation in higher
education.16 The recent opening of the new Mid-Kent College
building on a co-located site further strengthens the learning
infrastructure and provides increased capacity to deliver
real transformation to the education and skills profile of the
Medway towns.
> Similarly, the joint further and higher education facilities in
Southend (a partnership between South Essex College and
the University of Essex) have created new opportunities
for progression to higher education, and learning campus
developments in Thurrock are now further extending
opportunities in the Thames Gateway Essex sub-region.
> In the Thames Gateway London region, the new Ravensbourne
campus on the Greenwich Peninsula opens in 2010 and north
of the river, the University of East London and Birkbeck College
are collaborating on the development of a significant new
centre at Stratford Island.
Partnerships based on buildings are clearly important and the impact of
new educational facilities in opening up opportunities through the provision
of locally accessible higher education cannot be underestimated.
However, there are other, sometimes less visible, models of collaboration
in further and higher education which arguably, are equally important in
creating an architecture of educational opportunity.
Partnerships 38
Through the Creative Way, many new partnerships have developed which
are resulting in new ladders of opportunity for learners. Some of the most
innovative are between neighbouring colleges and universities, working
with private training providers and employers.
> In East London, the Creative Arts Newham (CAN) partnership
brings together further and higher education institutions
(NewVIc, the University of East London and Birkbeck College)
working with informal learning providers and employers.
Stratford Circus, an innovative performing arts cultural centre,
provides a strong anchor for the CAN partnership and links
with Stratford Cultural Forum give additional reach and support.
Many of the partners who came together to form the CAN
partnership had a history of successful collaborative working
– the University of East London’s partnership with NewVIc, for
example, was well established and had strong support at
senior management level, with high levels of commitment
from teaching staff in both institutions.
The introduction of the 14–19 Creative and Media Diploma
provided a further impetus to extend and develop the
membership and scope of the UEL – NewVIc partnership.
The initial intention of partners was to strengthen the delivery
of the diploma through bringing together 14–19 providers, higher
education and employers within a single local framework.
This led on to a shared interest in strengthening the local
education and training infrastructure through the development
of an overarching, connecting framework of education and
training opportunities from pre-sixteen to post-eighteen.
One of the first initiatives CAN partners undertook was the
publication of a prospectus which aimed to draw in and
inspire potential learners. The CAN prospectus profiled each
of the partner organisations and showed the range of learning
opportunities locally. Progression routes were illustrated
through case studies and highlighted opportunities for learners
to move from informal through to formal learning settings.
The prospectus was underpinned by a substantial programme
of work to explore how credit accumulation and transfer might
The creative industries make the heart beat faster 39
 operate between partners to facilitate learner progression
from informal, practice-based settings to more formal learning
environments. This process engaged partners and learners
in innovative and highly creative learning projects which
demonstrated the unique benefits to learners of multi-
partner working:
“ Studying dance courses at Stratford Circus has given me
experience of different kinds of dance”
“ It’s helped me become a stronger more collaborative
performer and will benefit me when I’m applying to drama
schools/University”
However, the aspiration to develop a cohesive credit transfer
framework as a device to connect learning opportunities
Some very real is proving challenging. The CAN partnership has identified
differences in some very real differences in assessment cultures, particularly
assessment cultures, between formal and informal education providers and
particularly between employers, and in some cases, partners felt that the attempts
formal and informal to accredit learning experiences had the unwelcome effect
education providers of de-motivating learners. Work is continuing, with partners
and employers particularly interested to investigate how ‘on the job’ learning
might to lead to entry to higher education.
Creative Arts Newham is an example of an area based partnership.
Through The Creative Way, partnerships and networks based on subject
disciplines and industry sectors have also developed.
> The Creative Way Dance Network has developed against
the backdrop of the growing interest nationally in dance
and dance education. The initial aim of the Dance Network
was to bring teaching staff together from FE and HE dance
providers across the Thames Gateway to enable them to
learn more about each others’ programmes and to facilitate
communication between staff working in different institutions.
The Dance Network includes Trinity Laban Conservatoire of
Music and Dance, Lewisham College, Hackney Community
College, Newham 6th Form College (NewVIc), South Essex
College, Mid-Kent College, Brooke House 6th Form College,
Palmers College, London Metropolitan University, Reynolds
Partnerships 40
Performing Arts, City & Islington College and the University
of East London.
Initial information sharing led rapidly to a more structured
focus on using the network to support student progression.
Dance Network partners now organise ‘Progression Toolkit
Days’ – practical events for dance students interested in moving
on to HE. Students can learn about the different higher level
dance education and training programmes on offer across
the Network and receive practical advice on applications and
the process of audition. Dance professionals also take part
in Toolkit Days, giving students the opportunity to find out
about different career pathways in dance and the performing
arts. Showcase performances have been held in the Laban
Bonnie Bird Theatre and have given students the chance to
observe and learn from each other while working in a highly
professional context.
For students, the opportunity to learn outside their immediate
points of reference has been valuable:
“ I really did enjoy the ballet class as I had a different view on it
but as I participated, I had a different view and enjoyed it.”
“ I thoroughly enjoyed the classes we had today and I feel like
they helped open my eyes to a wider range of styles.”
“ I felt it was a very valuable experience and has helped me in
my decision making.”
“ I found that there is so many different paths on which you can
take if performing isn’t the first choice.
For staff too there have been benefits:
“ The Dance Network has bought me closer to what happens
in the classrooms and studios of our local FE colleges … I’ve
developed relationships with teachers and students in which
we talk about the classes we love, inspiring performances
we’ve seen, things we’re finding hard, and aches and pains!
The creative industries make the heart beat faster 41
 It’s confirmed for me that the future of the network needs
to be full of sharing practice and ideas and supporting each
other so that students really get the best possible start to their
career in dance.” _ HE tutor
“ The project has reminded me that even though it wasn’t
that long ago I was training, things have changed so much.
Some of the things students have said to me recently about
their understanding of what it means to train and work
in dance have really surprised me. In some cases there’s
a huge desire to succeed but less enthusiasm towards a
9 hour day of classes! I’m confident that if students were more
psychologically prepared for HE training, they would be better
supported to make the transition into the sector.” _ FE tutor
Partnership Working –
Benefits, Challenges and Opportunities
Successful partnerships at course level extend and enrich the range of
learning opportunities for students and can be a powerful stimulus to
learner progression. For staff, collaborative working provides invaluable
development opportunities and for institutions, partnerships can provide
an important way to stretch resources and secure local recruitment.
For students, cohesive partnerships between institutions can be critical in
Creative Way funded development projects and across the Creative Way
network there are numerous other examples of partnership initiatives.
However, funding which allows for innovation sometimes falls short of
enabling successful practice to be embedded and sustained in the longer
term and indeed there can be very real challenges in sustaining institutional
commitment to partnership arrangements.
The Creative Way Sometimes external factors constrain potential. Partnerships which seek
has provided a to extend learning opportunities can fall victim to the requirements of
uniquely successful different funding and quality assurance regimes. Policy changes can
mechanism to also impact negatively and undermine institutional capacity to sustain
connect teaching partnership activity.
staff and creative
practitioners There are complex challenges in developing and sustaining partnerships
but our experience in the Thames Gateway suggests there are very real
benefits from approaches which enable institutions to draw on each
others’ specialisms and resources. As we move into a world of constrained
public funding, the partnership experience and track record of Thames
Gateway institutions may well prove critical in enabling institutions to meet
changing learning needs and respond effectively to an ever greater range
of stakeholder interests.
Source: Thames Gateway London Partnership
16

supporting their transition to higher education, particularly where students

are supported in developing their understanding of what will be required
of them as they move into higher level study.

Experience suggests that successful partnerships do not always derive

from decisions taken at the level of senior management but instead rest
on relationships between innovative staff working in different organisations.
As a pan-Thames Gateway network, The Creative Way has provided a
uniquely successful mechanism to connect together teaching staff, policy
makers, employers and creative practitioners and as we have seen, tangible
benefits can and do result for learners and for individual institutions.

Special funding, such as that that has been provided through The Creative
Way, has undoubtedly been important in enabling innovative, partnership
based developments. Many of the examples in this book are drawn from

Partnerships 42 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 43

 Section 4

Creativity,
Innovation
and Employer
Engagement

Section heading 44 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 45
Since setting up in 2006, The Creative Way has focused on increasing the
pull through from school and college through to higher education so that
opportunities for employment in the creative industries’ sector are increased
and creative sector business activity is enhanced. We have described our
approach to opening up opportunities for learners to move into higher
education through a progression framework and outlined the benefits that
collaborative, partnership based working can bring to creating a sustainable
architecture of opportunity.
This chapter focuses on initiatives designed to match higher skills provision
to industry need and increase opportunities for Thames Gateway students
to move into creative sector employment.
Innovating to Meet Creative Sector Skills Needs
The curriculum mapping work we undertook in 2007 showed rich provision
across almost all creative sector subject areas. It also highlighted several areas
where Thames Gateway institutions are developing unique and innovative
provision to meet new and emerging areas of the creative economy.
One such emerging area is that of creative, celebratory and outdoor
arts and events – a diverse and growing area of economic activity,
requiring complex skillsets across creative, technical, management and
entrepreneurial areas.
> There are now several courses in the UK which address
events management but the BA (Hons) programme in Creative
Events (Design and Production) at the University of Kent places
particular emphasis on creative ideas and event design.
The course has strong connections with industry partners
and seeks to develop students’ creative, intellectual and
craft skills as preparation for work in creating and shaping
environments, events and experiences.
The University of Kent course has established a strong
reputation with leading employers:
“ This course is a first for the sector. The range of subjects and
the strong links with professionals give a good foundation
Creativity, Innovation and Employer Engagement
for a career in the world of outdoor performance and events.
We are looking forward to continued involvement with the
course. We have already employed one first-year student and
are very optimistic that the course will become a significant
source of freelance crew.”
With such a relatively new area of creative economy activity,
the challenge is not just to provide a higher level education
and training experience which meets the skill demands of
the sector. It is also to communicate and raise awareness
of the range of careers and employment opportunities the
field provides. There is no single progression route into either
professional practice or higher level study in this field and
across the Thames Gateway, work with Level 3 providers
indicated a lack of awareness of the full range of employment
opportunities which might be available to students who opt
to study in the area.
Working with the University of Kent course team, Creative
Way staff identified a number of Level 3 courses across the
Gateway which provided learners with the grounding for entry
to the University of Kent course. Contacts were established
with Level 3 course teams and meetings, visits and workshops
arranged. However, even though face to face contact was
considered useful by everyone involved, course teams in
both FE and at the University of Kent felt more needed to be
done to inform and inspire students and explain just what is
involved in the field of creative events. To do this, the course
team at the University of Kent used Creative Way development
funds to commission a film designed to introduce some of
the careers and opportunities available within the field of
creative events. Visually rich and enticing, the film includes
interviews with professional practitioners and students from
the University of Kent course. The film is a unique resource
for those studying and working in the fields of performing
arts, stage management, design, fine art, technical theatre
and related fields.
The Creative Events course at the University of Kent provides one example of
new higher level provision which focuses on developing learners’ practical /
craft skills together with their creative and intellectual abilities.
46 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 47
> In the closely related field of technical theatre, Creative Way
partners are collaborating on a number of other development
initiatives which have looked at the skills employers now require
of graduates, explored pan-Gateway progression routes from
Level 2 through Level 3 and on to higher skill, HE-level provision,
and developed new modules and courses where gaps were
identified. Partner institutions from across the Thames Gateway
have linked up and formed a Technical Theatre Network 17 which
now works with venues and production companies across the
Thames Gateway and has links with the new National Skills
Academy for Live Performance based at Thurrock.
> Many creative sector practitioners operate as freelance
workers or run small companies. To meet their diverse needs
for graduate level professional development, a small team
from London Metropolitan University worked with performing
arts and arts policy practitioners to develop and pilot a flexibly
delivered programme designed to enhance practitioner skills
and develop business and enterprise skills.
In the words of the course leader:
“ Since the idea was first dreamt up, the poor state of our
economy has become apparent, and perversely makes the
need for a focus on innovation and enterprise more compelling.”
The success of the pilot course run at London Metropolitan
University is an encouraging indication that interdisciplinary
approaches to enterprise development in the creative and
cultural sector are very much possible.
Creativity, Innovation and Employer Engagement 48
Enhancing Employment Opportunities –
The Importance of Work Experience
The renewed emphasis on the importance of higher education which equips
students with economically valuable skills is once again prompting concerns
– at least in some quarters – that too many creative sector courses are not
relevant to the labour market and fall short of providing the skills that industry
requires. Against this dispiriting background, it is extremely important to
note that evidence from right across The Creative Way partnership shows
staff in further and higher education institutions go to great lengths to
ensure the relevance of their courses and develop learner employability.
There has, of course, always been a strong tradition of practice based
work in many creative subject areas. Creative courses are commonly
taught through industry set briefs and many institutions employ creative
practitioners for the express purpose of instilling a professional practitioner
ethos. Many courses also include units designed to bring creative skills
and business acumen closer together and right across the Creative Way
partnership there are also several examples of imaginative efforts to
simulate workplace experience.
It is real work experience however, that matters most in building confidence
and motivation and in helping learners determine future career directions.
Organised well and supervised effectively, work experience offers learners
the opportunity to practice skills, see the relevance of course content, and
test out the reality of particular occupations.
The opportunity to observe and experience workplace practices at first hand
is important for all learners but can be particularly valuable for adult learners
considering a move in to creative sector employment via higher education.
> Teaching staff in the School of Creative and Cultural Industries
at Thurrock and Basildon College 18 had a particular interest in
strengthening and promoting work based learning – and the
career opportunities arising from such training – as part of
their overall strategy of promoting the benefits of progression
to higher education to adult learners through the route of
Foundation Degree study.
Working with the University of East London, the Royal Opera
House and a range of employers and FE partners, the team
The creative industries make the heart beat faster 49
 at Thurrock and Basildon College focused on integrating work
experience and work-related learning into the Foundation
Degree in Textiles with Fashion offered at the college. Of
particular note, is the emphasis given by the course team
to building links and arranging work experience with SMEs.
Although challenging, the staff team feel that such work
experience offers students the chance to experience how
designer/makers are required to develop skills across all
Staff in further and aspects of running a business.
higher education
institutions go to great Although the course is still in its early stages, feedback from
lengths to ensure students is extremely encouraging:
the relevance of their
courses and develop “ My experience at Baxter Fawcett (print design studio) massively
learner employability affected my future plans. This was a road I hadn’t wanted to
go down, but now I think I do there’s a broader range of jobs
and opportunities than I’d realised.”
“ I got to see how Designers speak to people in a textile studio –
how to get cooperation; what works and what doesn’t.”
For adult learners on creative programmes, the opportunity to observe and
experience professional work practice can be extremely rewarding and can
be particularly useful in determining whether or not to progress through HE
and then on to creative sector employment.
> In the visual arts field, many learners, particularly adults, can
be concerned that a visual arts degree will offer only a highly
specialised and insecure set of career options. To address this
particular issue, staff in the School of Art and Design at South
Essex College used Creative Way development funds to build
partnerships with galleries, studios and arts organisations
with the aim of strengthening a work related curriculum and
generating work experience opportunities.
A vibrant guest speaker programme is now in place and work
experience opportunities continue to be developed, although
not in the way the course team envisaged when they started
the project. The initial aim had been to establish a structured
work placement scheme. However, it soon became clear
that the galleries and arts organisations working with South
Creativity, Innovation and Employer Engagement
Essex College tended to resist a highly managed approach,
preferring instead to respond to placement and work
experience requests from individual students. They felt this
enabled them to spot the characteristics they held in high
esteem, namely independence, self-motivation and ingenuity.
Students themselves felt empowered by this approach and
many have become more involved in local, regional, and in
some cases, national arts projects. Importantly, students report
a greater awareness of potential employment opportunities.
The South Essex College course team have used this work to
produce a DIY guide – ‘Taking the first steps to becoming an
Artist’ – a resource designed for people in the South Essex
region who are interested in developing a career in Fine Art.
> In the field of live music, a partnership led by Havering College
of Further and Higher Education has brokered links with music
industry professionals and ‘Music Industry Live’ events have
provided a valuable opportunity for students, tutors and
practitioners to come together.
For Level 4 learners, work experience is a relatively well established feature
of many programmes of study. It adds to the curriculum and provides a
valued opportunity to practice skills and establish a presence, however
tentative, within professional networks.
For Level 3 learners, however, work experience can be even more critical –
it motivates and builds confidence, and it provides the opportunity to see
how skills are used and applied in the workplace. Arranging work experience
for Level 3 learners however, can be difficult, particularly in the Thames
Gateway region where the majority of creative businesses are small and
can sometimes struggle to afford the opportunity costs of supporting work
experience placements.
> The DIY guide produced by South Essex College is a good
example of practical advice to help pre-HE learners gain
work experience.
Finding ways for students at all levels to benefit from work experience has
been an important focus, and across the Creative Way partnership there
are notable examples of initiatives designed to extend work experience to
50 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 51
students whose circumstances can limit opportunities. The two initiatives The Technical Theatre Network includes South Essex College,
17

East 15 at the University of Essex, Barking & Dagenham

from South Essex provide examples but right across the Thames Gateway,
College, University of Kent, Rose Bruford College, Havering
similarly imaginative schemes are being developed. College of Further and Higher Education, City & Islington
College, North-West Kent College, Mid-Kent College,
It is clear that more could be done to find ways for students to benefit from Palmers College, Lewisham College and the University
of the Creative Arts. The Network works with venues and
work experience. It is equally clear that more needs to be done to support
production companies across The Thames Gateway.
new entrants to creative sector employment as they seek to establish
themselves as professional practitioners. 18 Thurrock and Basildon College merged with South East
Essex College to become South Essex College from
January 1st 2010.
Research undertaken by CfE on behalf of The Creative Way 19 suggested
that taking on work placement students was the most common interaction 19 CfE (2009) ‘Understanding Employer Demand for Skills:
creative sector employers, particularly SMEs, had with universities and a research study into CCI businesses in the Thames Gateway’
colleges. Our ongoing efforts to strengthen work placement links with
20 CfE (2010) Generation Crunch: the demand for recent
employers is therefore critical in giving learners vital work experience
graduates from SMEs’ Available at www.cfe.org.uk
and strengthening the recruitment pipeline.

More recently, research evidence from CfE suggests a slowing down

in graduate recruitment by SMEs.20 CfE’s research report highlights the
impact of recession indicating that it is lack of demand rather than concern
about the suitability of graduates which is behind this slow down in
recruitment. While this research is not specific to the creative and cultural
industries’ sector, it is nonetheless noteworthy and points to an urgent
need to stimulate the demand for graduates. One possibility here is to
deploy The Creative Way partnership infrastructure as a mechanism to
further strengthen and support work with creative sector companies. As a
predominantly SME based sector, working with creative sector businesses
requires a particular approach. However, as we move out of recession,
all the evidence suggests that knowledge based employment growth will
increase most rapidly in SMEs.

Creativity, Innovation and Employer Engagement 52 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 53
Looking Forward …
The Creative Way partnership has sparked some highly innovative work and
stimulated new partnerships which have proved interesting and rewarding
for the students, staff institutions and employers involved. Most importantly,
the partnership has shown real commitment to developing progression
opportunities which connect experientially rewarding learning to equally
rewarding employment in the creative and cultural industries.
The work we have undertaken now finds a wider voice as emerging policy
emphasises the importance of a strong skills base and calls for a closer
alignment between skills, knowledge and qualifications so that confidence
in the value of qualifications ,and willingness to invest in them, is improved
amongst both employers and individual learners.
_ the development of flexible delivery models based on
partnerships between creative employers, cultural institutions
and universities and colleges and supported through a shared
investment funding model;
_ the development of a region-wide framework to support the
capacity of new graduates to create services, business activity
and employment through the commercial exploitation of their
copyrightable activity.
We hope we have shown in this book that Thames Gateway institutions
have the commitment and capacity to continually innovate. The Gallery
which follows shows some of their creative output.

Thames Gateway institutions have shown how collaboration can deliver

a skills framework which makes the match between skills and knowledge
intensive employment and strengthens the position of the Gateway as
a highly competitive location. As a partnership we have demonstrated
how investment in a cohesive skills framework as a key Thames Gateway
asset delivers results.

Regional innovation capacity is now strengthened as skills supply is focused

progressively on productive growth sectors and areas of creative and
technological advance, and the solid progression pathways now in place
across the Gateway provide a real and tangible mechanism to enable
Gateway residents to move into higher education and gain the skills and
qualifications for jobs in new knowledge based industries.

As a region of key strategic importance to the UK’s economy and a

destination area for increasing numbers of people, we argue that the
case for investment in the higher education sector in the Thames Gateway
remains extremely strong.

Our work in the creative sector suggests some immediate priorities for action:

_ the development of flexible, parallel pathways into higher

education and higher skills training based on a close and
demonstrable alignment between the skills and knowledge
required for employment and creative enterprise activity;

Looking Forward … 54 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 55
Resources University of East London (UEL)
Visual Arts (Creative Practice Workshops)
Lewisham College www.creativeway.org.uk/cpw
Acting (Mind the Gap)
Materials: Report
www.creativeway.org.uk/mtg

Materials: Report / DVD – Film

South Essex College
Fine Art
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (Developing Professional Pathways in Fine Art)
Musical Theatre (All the Way to the West End) www.creativeway.org.uk/dpp
www.creativeway.org.uk/awwe
Materials: Report / Film / IAG Doc
Materials: Report / (DIY Portfolio Building for Fine Art)
www.musicaltheatretraining.com
Mary Ward Centre
NewVIc (Newham 6th Form College) Arts & Crafts (Providing Professional Practice
Performance Progression for Artists and Designers)
(Creative Arts Newham) www.creativeway.org.uk/pad
www.creativeway.org.uk/can
Materials: Report / Course information
Materials: Report
East 15 Acting School (University of Essex)
London Metropolitan University Technical Theatre
Dance and Performance (A Way Forward – New progression Pathways)
(Performance Innovations) www.creativeway.org.uk/awf
www.creativeway.org.uk/pi
Materials: Report
Materials: Report /
www.performanceinnovations.org University of Kent
Celebratory and Outdoor Arts
Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance (Creative Events: Design & Production)
Music/Acting www.creativeway.org.uk/coa
(Urban Music & Actor Musicianship)
Materials: Report / DVD – Film
www.creativeway.org.uk/umam

Materials: Report University for the Creative Arts

Technical Theatre
(Creative Arts for Theatre & Film)
www.creativeway.org.uk/catf

Materials: Report / Film / Project Commentary

Resources 56 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 57

South Essex College
Fashion Promotion (Fashion Promotion for L3)
www.creativeway.org.uk/fp
Materials: Report / IAG Leaflet /
www.fashion-promotion.co.uk
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance
in collaboration with The Creative Way
Dance Network
Dance (Higher Education Progression Toolkit)
www.creativeway.org.uk/hept
Materials: Report
Canterbury Christ Church University
Music (Making Tracks 1)
www.creativeway.org.uk/mt1
Materials: Report / www.making-tracks.info
Point Blank Music College in collaboration
with Canterbury Christ Church University
Music Promotion (Making Tracks 2)
www.creativeway.org.uk/mt2
Materials: Report
Havering College of Further & Higher Education
with IMT
Music (Music Industry Live)
www.creativeway.org.uk/mil
Materials: Report / www.musicindustrylive.org
Canterbury Christ Church University
Photography (New Visions: Promoting
Progression in Photography)
www.creativeway.org.uk/nv
Materials: Report / www.getashot.co.uk
Resources
Barking & Dagenham College
Technical Theatre (Raising the Bar)
www.creativeway.org.uk/rtb
Materials: Report / DVD
Lewisham College
Technical Theatre
(Vocational Training – Alternatives that Work)
www.creativeway.org.uk/vt
Materials: Report
South Essex College
Technical Theatre
(Production Arts & Technical Theatre)
www.creativeway.org.uk/patt
Materials: Report
(Thurrock& Basildon College) South Essex College
Fashion (Textiles & Fashion Foundation Degree)
www.creativeway.org.uk/tf
Materials: Report / Course IAG leaflet
Open University – London Region
Progression (Bridging the Learning Skills Divide)
www.creativeway.org.uk/blsd
Materials: Report
Greenwich Community College
Creative Events (Foundation Degree in Venue,
Events & Hospitality Management)
www.creativeway.org.uk/fdv
Materials: Report
58 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 59
Moving On: a study to explore the reasons
why learners following level 3 vocational
programmes in the creative arts subject areas
choose not to progress to programmes at level 4
(2007) Dr Pamela Percy and Tony Hudson,
Continuum, University of East London

www.creativeway.org.uk/en/About-us/
Careers-advice/Research

Pathways into Learning in the Creative Arts

(2009) Sid Hughes

www.creativeway.org.uk/en/About-us/
Careers-advice/Research

Understanding Employer Demand for Skills:

a research study into CCI businesses in the
Thames Gateway
James Kewin, Tristram Hughes and Carole
Sanchez, CfE (2009)

www.creativeway.org.uk/en/About-us/
Careers-advice/Research

Resources 60 The creative industries make the heart beat faster 61

Gallery

The creative industries make the heart beat faster 63

Thurrock & Basildon Canterbury Christ Church
(South Essex College) University
FdA Textiles and Fashion BA (Hons) Photography
Spiral hat: Hand & Lock Progression workshops
competition shortlist for FE college students
Creative Way Dance Network University of Kent
Dance Toolkit Event BA (Hons) Creative Events
@ Laban Centre Design and Production

Photograph by Bahi Paraling

www.paraling.co.uk
South Essex College
FdA Textiles & Fashion
Fabrics and costumes for
Chicken Shed Inclusive Theatre
iD East
Media Skills presentation
@ Four Corners Film
www.creativeway.org.uk/id-East
Photograph by Bahi Paraling
www.paraling.co.uk
iD East
Media Skills Summer School at
Ravensbourne College of Design
and Communication
www.creativeway.org.uk/id-East
South Essex College
BTEC National Diploma in
Technical Theatre (Production)
Havering College of Further
and Higher Education /
Institute of Music Technology
Music Industry Live Event at
Havering College of FE and HE
Oct 2009
University of Kent Lewisham College /
BA (Hons) Creative Events Rose Bruford College of
Design and Production Theatre and Performance
BTEC National Diploma in
Performing Arts / Acting
University of Kent
BA (Hons) Creative Events
Design and Production
Creative Way
Dance Network
Dance Toolkit Event
@ Laban Centre
Photograph by Bahi Paraling
www.paraling.co.uk
Image opposite:
Canterbury Christ Church
University
BA (Hons) Photography
Progression workshops for
FE college students
iD East
Media Skills Summer School at
Ravensbourne College of Design
and Communication
www.creativeway.org.uk/id-East
Mary Ward Centre
Professional Practice for
Artists (PPA)
Thierry Alexandre’s jewellery
exhibited for Coutts, London
Jewellery week 2009
Photograph by Robert Taylor
www.taylor-robert.co.uk
Canterbury Christ Church
University
BA (Hons) Photography
Images from ‘The Little People’
and ‘Polaroid Transfer’ workshops
Mary Ward Centre
Professional Practice for Artists
and Designers (PPA)
Student Sarah Bayes on work
placement with textile artist
Abigail Brown at Cockpit Arts
Mary Ward Centre East 15 (University of Essex)
Professional Practice for FdA/BA (Hons) Technical Theatre
Artists (PPA)
Thierry Alexandre’s jewellery
exhibited for Coutts, London
Jewellery week 2009
Photograph by Robert Taylor
www.taylor-robert.co.uk
South Essex College Previous page: Creative Way Dance Network
FdA Textiles and Fashion South Essex College Dance Toolkit Event
Making costumes for Royal BTEC National Diploma @ Laban Centre
Opera House production Fashion Promotion Photograph by Bahi Paraling
www.paraling.co.uk
South Essex College Canterbury Christ Church
BA (Hons) Fine Art University
Free Range exhibition Music (Making Tracks 1)
Brick Lane
iD East
Media Skills presentation
@ Four Corners Film
Photograph by Bahi Paraling
www.paraling.co.uk
South Essex College Previous page: Canterbury Christ Church
BTEC National Diploma South Essex College University
Technical Theatre Production BA (Hons) Fine Art Music (Making Tracks 1)
Technical Theatre students
setting up for NSA Founder
College launch event
Trinity Music College /
Reynolds Performing Arts
Foundation Degree
Musical Theatre
Photograph by Bahi Paraling
www.paraling.co.uk
iD East
Media Skills presentation
@ Four Corners Film
Photograph by Bahi Paraling
www.paraling.co.uk
University of Kent South Essex College
BA (Hons) Creative Events BA (Hons) Fine Art
Design and Production
Creative Way Staff Design by Marc Avery
www.marcavery.com
Matt Ball Careers Adviser
Sarah Comerford Careers Adviser Printed by mtadigital
Andy Forrest Web Writer & Editor www.mtadigital.co.uk
Judy Kenney Programme Manager – Art, Design and Technical Theatre
Judy Morgan Administrator
Liz Pearson Director Printed on Essential Offset and
Lindsey Pugh Programme Manager – Performing Arts and Music Essential Silk, which are sourced
Richard Pyle Policy and Communications Manager from fully sustainable forests.
Sarah Williams Programme Manager – Communication Media Produced at a mill that has been
awarded the ISO14001 certificate
for environmental management.

Creative Way Partners

_ Access to Music
_ Anglia Ruskin University
_ Barking & Dagenham College
_ Bexley College
_ Birkbeck College,
University of London
_ Brooke House 6th Form College
_ Canterbury Christ Church University
_ Christ the King 6th Form College
_ City & Islington College
_ East 15 (University of Essex)
_ Goldsmiths, University of London
_ Greenwich Community College
_ Hackney Community College
_ Havering 6th Form College
_ Havering College of Further and
Higher Education
_ Immediate Theatre
_ Institute of Contemporary Music
Performance
_ Institute of Music & Technology
at Hurricane Studios
_ Lewisham College
_ London Metropolitan University
_ The Mary Ward Centre
_ Mid Kent College
_ Newam 6th Form College (NewVIc)
_ Newham College
_ North West Kent College
_ Open University, London Region
_ Palmer’s College
_ Point Blank Music College
_ Queen Mary, University of London
_ Ravensbourne College of Design
and Communication
_ Redbridge College
_ Rolling Sound
_ Rose Bruford College of Theatre
& Performance
_ Rosetta Arts Centre
_ SEEVIC College
_ South Essex College
_ The Stephen Lawrence
Charitable Trust
_ Tower Hamlets College
_ Trinity Laban Conservatoire of
Music and Dance
_ University for the Creative Arts
_ University of East London
_ University of Essex
_ University of Greenwich
_ University of Kent
_ WAC Performing Arts &
Media College

Creative Way Staff and Partners 100