Regular readers of the Culture Vulture will be familiar with the “we can make anything happen, if we get our heads together” ethos of the blog. This attitude runs throughout an exciting regional conference, Creating the Future, taking place in Leeds next week. Organised by ArtForms, Leeds Town Hall will be bustling on Thursday 10th March with participants and delegates attending the conference.
All eyes will be on keynote speaker, Ian McMillan, as he follows the days’ events, working with members of the audience to produce an interactive poem in response to the conference themes of arts provision for children and young people. Seeing this creative process in action will be a unique experience for everyone present and is typical of Ian’s way of working. Other keynote speakers are Dr Maggie Atkinson, Childrens Commisioner for England and Pat Cochrane, Director of CapeUK.
The day offers practitioners, educators and arts professionals the chance to celebrate successes, explore practical ideas for creative collaborative and see performances and work by young people. Workshop topics range from drawing to the arts in the Early Years, making music to families working together. Over lunchtime there will be the opportunity for people to explore The Store, a marketplace of over 50 arts organisations and individual artists showcasing their work.
The programme is inspiring and the sense of excitement that putting all these different pieces together in one place is particularly important in the current economic climate. It is imperative that children and young people’s access to arts and culture is not lost despite budget constraints. Bringing all of these inspirational people and organisations who are passionate about the arts and learning can only be a good thing. Afterall, these are the culture vultures of the future.
For a full list of workshops and the programme for the day contact details are below
www.artformsleeds.co.uk
0113 2304074
helen.taylor@educationleeds.co.uk