Culture Cares Is A New Conference To Help Improve The Life Chances Young People In The Care System

As part of National Care Leavers Week, (25 October - 3 November), Derby Theatre will play host to the Culture Cares Conference on Tuesday 30 October. Produced by young care-leavers, this nationally significant event brings together the Arts and Social Care to find ways in which these two sectors can help promote positive outcomes for those young people who have experienced the care system. The conference is presented by Derby's Cultural Campus in partnership with the Family Arts Campaign and supported by the Esmee Fairburn Foundation.

In 2017, there were almost 73,000 Looked After children in England- a continuing increase since the early 1990s. Abuse and Neglect accounts for over 60% of children being taken into care.

Caroline Barth, Creative Learning Director at Derby Theatre, said: "All children and young people should have the opportunity to lead happy and fulfilled lives, no matter where they are born or live. Statistics show that if you grow up in care you are five times more likely to be convicted of a criminal offence and five times more likely to have been excluded from school."

Caroline continued, "Overall, children in care face a much higher risk of homelessness, teenage pregnancy and unemployment. Through partnership work we have a real chance to innovate and do things differently. As a Government endorsed 'Opportunity Area', Derby is making real strives to close this gap."

Darren Henley, the Chief Executive of Arts Council England and acclaimed author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay MBE, will explore the role that culture can play in enhancing creativity and life skills of people in care and care leavers.

Darren Henley said: "Experiencing and being inspired by great art and culture can enrich the lives of young people in countless ways, from building skills and work experience, to creating safe spaces to talk and create."

Culture Cares will give young care leavers the opportunity to be heard by those in both the Arts and Social Care sectors. Often silenced in society, this innovative conference will provide a platform for these young people - they will launch a young person's manifesto for change with a call to action for investment in their futures.

Chloe, a young care-leaver, who is now beginning her apprenticeship at Derby Theatre, supported by the University of Derby and helping to produce Culture Cares, said: "Professionals in care have given me the foundations to a fresh start in life; all those things you should already have but I didn't. Care professionals were hugely important in my growth and development, but the system can't possibly cater and support every individual young person's aspirations and creativity. Creative programmes such as Plus One have opened so many doors for me. They have helped me connect with others through something that I'm really passionate about and, I feel, have given me a platform for my future developments."

Derby Theatre has been working alongside the University of Derby's Alex Nunn, Professor of Global Political Economy, who will present his research findings on the impact of Derby's award-winning Plus One initiative - a consortium of major arts organisations in Derby and national care services who have joined forces to provide Looked After Children, care leavers and their families the chance to experience live performances and a host of cultural opportunities and long-term creative engagement. The research suggests that the programme is effective in terms of confidence building, spreading awareness of artistic careers and educational opportunities and in terms of facilitating the acquisition of social and cultural capital. It also reveals the challenges of delivering projects and support to vulnerable or marginalised populations, especially in the context of multiple, short-term, overlapping and diverse funding streams.

Chloe continued: "I feel that the Care and the Arts sectors both have the same positive ambitions for young people in care, but they bring different things and individually their capacity is limited. This is why partnership is such a wonderful thing! At this conference, we want to share our collaborative experiences and the impact they can have on the young people but also on the practice of both sectors. For example, think how brilliant your theatre piece about care leavers will be if you've actually worked with care leavers to make it! Your theatre piece in turn can then become a powerful tool for training care professionals."

Culture Cares other highlights include:

- A presentation by Giles Dilnot - Director of Communications and External Affairs for the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England who will be presenting a walkthrough of their new national website they have created for children in care and care leavers and their vision for the Children's Commissioner Office.

- Award-winning theatre company Curious Monkey will share the stage with young care leavers in a performance, which illustrates their experiences from inside the care system.

- Live performances from young care leavers

- The launch of a young people's manifesto for change

- Q & A with an invited panel of guests

- The launch of Derby's new three-year programme with key investment from Esmee Fairbairn's innovative Leaving Care Fund