learning, training &
applied research
Learning and Training
Our successful Gold Standard cultural planning course (a partnership with the University of Strathclyde), is only two years old, but is garnering support with an increasing number of paying customers.. Projects developed using cultural planning methodology are attracting awards and international recognition www.linthouseurbanvillage.com; neilston development trust, roystonroadproject.org.) and evaluation from participants is positive . A growing learning network of cultural planners, creating real live projects is spreading throughout the country – all sharing information and expertise via the national cultural planning forum.
Bespoke training (spreading to other parts of the UK and delivered to Norwich Partnership during 2007) has been commissioned by Western isles Council and the largest local authority in Scotland, City of Glasgow Council in 2008. These developments give a strong signal for the future as other local authorities up and down the country look at their own practice and start to follow suit. The course is open to everyone and we are particularly keen to welcome public sector participants. For information and registration into the 2009/10 course, see (www.fablevision.org/transform).
Applied Research
Our cultural planning applied research programme for 2008 has been Sparr in Govan where, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, GCC and the Scottish Commmunity Foundation, local people joined forces with the Western Isles to explore their joint historic legacies.
Sparr was launched by Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, and Sparr presented its findings on a cold November weekend in Govan’s SHED where hundreds of local people inhabited the space to tell their story on an epic scale. Funded by the Heritage Lottery, a web based learning resource is an evolving learning tool for schools, community and cultural organisations. (www.fablevision.org/sparr). The Sparr programme will continue during the year of the Homecoming: supporting local third sector cultural organisations like CRAN Theatre Company and a cultural and heritage hub development at the heart of historic Govan . Scottish Government funding for a Social Return on Investment Audit linked to Sparr, which is measuring the economic value of our approaches, is pointing both to the value and efficacy of the methodology and the need for more research in the field.
Partnership working during 2008 saw the completion of our work on various Scottish Government Pathfinders: South Ayrshire, the Western Isles, Argyll and Bute, Inverclyde, Angus, and others with the Scottish Adult Learning Partnership. We await the findings of the external evaluation from EKOS as to their perceived potential of the pathfinders that demonstrated cultural planning methodology in their practice.
Our “towards case study models” of cultural planning practice has continued with the Royston Road Project in North Glasgow. From a January 08 visit to the Houses of Parliament to collect a British Urban Regeneration Award for previous work , through European accolades and inclusion in prestigious EU research work, to the establishment of a Steering Group to take forward their latest public space development project, the Molendinar Community Campus , Royston Road Project continues from strength to strength.
Company Development
Our main work in terms of company development this year has been the establishment of apprenticeship opportunities on our outreach Transform T.V. programme and in house with our newly launched trading arm, Studios.
