Culture is not an industry… so what is it for? Join Professor Justin O’Connor (University of Adelaide), author of Culture is Not an Industry, for a live talk and conversation that challenges the default story in cultural policy. UK folks: grab your coffee and feel free to join: bit.ly/4aX4Dpf

Leading the Arts In Your School Cohort 1 has started in full force! Teachers have been looking at leadership styles and asking, what quality and richness in arts education and cultural learning looks like.

With a new Specialist Leaders in Cultural Education Fellowship cohort now open for applications, we revisited the experience of SLiCE® Fellow & Headteacher David Wearing.

Join us for an engaging conversation with Seherish from The Cosy Desi Club. 📅 Wednesday, February 25th 🕛️ 12pm to 1pm 🖱️ Online and free to attend. Don't miss out: thehourspotlightfeb26.eventbrite.co.uk

For Children's Mental Health Week 2026, we spoke to our Director of Education and Leadership at Curious Minds, Emma Bush. Read her thoughts here: curiousminds.org.uk/belonging-be...

The Awards are back! Coming in 2026. The National Arts and Education Awards will be held on Wednesday, October 21st, at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Nominations will launch early in March 2026 with criteria, eligibility information, and guidance on how to enter. Keep your eye out.

We've had 4 amazing young people work with us on a 3-month placement. Last Thursday was the Wigan Creative Futures Fair, an event produced, promoted, and evaluated by our placements. We tasked our Social Media Assistant, Eve, to gather quotes about their time and what lessons they've learnt.

Come and find out more about our Specialist Leaders in Cultural Education (SLiCE®) Fellowship 💬 SLiCE Online Briefing Wed 11 Feb, 4-5pm Book your spot: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/slice-fell...

📣 SLiCE® Fellowship – Applications now open! 📣 Building on 15 years of leading, shaping and strengthening the field of cultural education, we’re launching a pioneering and prestigious 18‑month Fellowship designed to develop bold changemakers, ready to reimagine the role of culture in education.

📣 Exciting news! 📣 We’re delighted by the recent announcement from the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy MP, of a 5% funding uplift for National Portfolio Organisations from Arts Council England this year.

New year, new events ✨ Networking, wellbeing, careers, creative inspiration; we've got a lot coming up over the next few months. All are free to attend: linktr.ee/Curiousmindsnw Here's to a creative 2026 🎉

We're launching our new season of The Hour: Spotlight with three incredible speakers in the new year. Each session, we'll sit down with a guest speaker to hear their creative journey: the real story, not the highlight reel. Last Thursday of each month | 12–1pm | Free | Online

Curious Minds is looking for a Head of Communications and PR, a leader who wants their work to create real change in children’s lives. ⏳ Hours: 30 hours per week, permanent 💫 Salary: £39,837 to £43,570 FTE (pro rata) More information and how to apply: curiousminds.org.uk/head-of-comm...

J tried drums at a youth hub, got hooked after a family concert, and wanted to learn properly. The Chance to See Fund got him an invisible drum kit + 2 months of lessons. Now he's in 2 bands and says he's found his creative voice 🥁 curiousminds.org.uk/seeing-is-be...

Come The Hour, come the creatives 🎨 Teaching artist? Youth worker? Freelance creative? Cultural practitioner? Join us Thursday for The Hour: Connect—a relaxed online space to meet peers who share your values. 📅 11 Dec | 12–1pm | Free No agenda. Register: TheHourConnectDec25.eventbrite.co.uk

We're proud to share a beautiful new short film we’ve created, in collaboration with poet and teaching artist Tom Stocks. We've submitted it to this year's Smiley Charity Film Awards. The more votes our film gets, the more hearts and minds we reach: smileycharityfilmawards.com/films/when-w...

We can’t wait to welcome you to Liverpool’s Royal Court tomorrow for our Symposium: Teaching Artistry in Action. If you haven’t bought your ticket yet... there’s still time! Come along for a packed day. teachingartistryinaction.eventbrite.co.uk

Wondering what the Symposium will look like? The Teaching Artistry in Action Symposium brings together artists, researchers, arts leaders, educators and community practitioners to explore the purpose, power and practice of artists who teach. teachingartistryinaction.eventbrite.co.uk

Join us this week for an engaging conversation with Jodi-Alissa Bickerton, Deputy Artistic Director at Graeae Theatre Company. When is it? Thursday 27th November. 12pm to 1pm. We'd love for you to join the conversation: thehourspotlightnov25.eventbrite.co.uk

📣 10 days to go 📣 Teaching Artistry in Action is a national symposium designed to put the artistic workforce who teach in education and community settings firmly at the centre of the conversation.

We’re excited to welcome Ashleigh Nugent & Andy Ash as featured speakers at our upcoming Symposium: Teaching Artistry in Practice 2nd December @royalcourtliv.bsky.social

The Curious Minds team is deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Paul Collard. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with Paul’s loving family, friends and colleagues. In memory of our dear friend: curiousminds.org.uk/remembering-...

Two more speakers to announce for our Symposium: Teaching Artistry in Action. Both of these brilliant artists will be speaking on our panel discussion, Artistic Voices in Practice.

🎤 Meet our next speakers! We’re thrilled to welcome Jennifer John & Hafsah Naib as speakers to our Symposium: Teaching Artistry in Action at @royalcourtliv on 2 Dec.

Over 5 years, we've delivered 7,473 creative care kits to families in need across the North West. From pandemic response to tackling creative inequality, this work brought art materials & joy to children who need it most. 🎨 curiousminds.org.uk/crafting-connections-l3lg

Chance To See Fund funding round is open! Applying is straightforward. If your organisation is based in Wigan Borough and is committed to working with children and young people, you are eligible to apply. Deadline: Wed 31st Dec More information here: curiousminds.org.uk/chance-to-se...

We’re preparing our programme for next month’s symposium and its looking action packed! Join us for a full day of inspiration, connection and creativity. Symposium: Teaching Artistry in Practice, 📅 Date: 2nd Dec 📍 Location: Liverpool’s Royal Court

Our next The Hour: Spotlight will be on 27/11/25 – 12pm – 1pm and we will be hosting Graeae Theatre’s Deputy Artistic Director – Jodi Alissa Bickerton! Sign up here: thehourspotlightnov25.eventbrite.co.uk @graeaetheatre.bsky.social

A big day for arts education – and for Curious Minds. For the first time in years, policy and purpose are pulling in the same direction. We’re ready to help make it real. curiousminds.org.uk/a-new-chapte... #ArtsEducation #CurriculumReform #CulturalLearning

Big step forward for arts education! We welcome the Government’s response to the Curriculum & Assessment Review and the chance to help make cultural learning a true entitlement for every child – built on quality, equity and opportunity. curiousminds.org.uk/a-new-chapte... #ArtsEducation #EdReform

🌟 One month to go! Symposium: Teaching Artistry in Action | 2 Dec | Liverpool's Royal Court A one-day gathering putting artists who teach at the centre of the conversation. Together we’ll explore the purpose, practice & power of artists using creativity across education, culture & communities.

Why do artists teach? We know the benefits to participants, but why do we choose to be in the workforce? Why are we committed to it, what do we get out of it? We all have different reasons, from wanting to make the world a better place, to it enriching our own art, to needing to pay the bills….

Curious Minds and Storyhouse Chester have teamed up with Mahmood Reza, a brilliant financial expert who understands the freelance mindset, to help demystify what HMRC expects and how to avoid costly mistakes. Free and online. 20th November, 13:00 to 15:00 financewithoutfears1.eventbrite.co.uk

We're excited to introduce speakers for our upcoming Symposium: Teaching Artistry in Action, taking place on 2nd December at @royalcourtliv.bsky.socialTheatre 🎭 ✨ Will you be joining us? Book: teachingartistryinaction.eventbrite.co.uk

This month, we are joined by Keith Saha, a multi award-winning theatre maker, writer, and director, and the Co-Founder of 20 Stories High. 💫 Thursday, 30th October 💫 12-1pm 💫 Free and online Register now: thehourspotlightoct25.eventbrite.co.uk

The Hour is a bi-monthly, one-hour gathering for artists, educators, producers, creative and cultural workers. No pressure. No pitch. No to-do list. Just one hour of being in the room – showing up as exactly as you are. Come connect: thehourconnectoct25.eventbrite.co.uk

This is your last call to apply to be part of Curious Works - paid, short-term work placements in real creative workplaces. Deadline tomorrow! (Wed 15 October, 4pm) Who can apply? Young people aged 16-25 in Wigan Borough who are not in education, employment or training. This year’s placements:

We are really excited to have @drdaveobrien.bsky.social @markrt.bsky.social and @orianbrook.bsky.social join us in 10 days. It is online and free. Please join us: CuriousAboutCultureisBad.eventbrite.co.uk

For #WorldMentalHealthDay, Emma Bush reflects on two years of work, showing how creative approaches make wellbeing tangible in schools. Students are commissioning murals, poetry, theatre, and more to meet the needs of their peers. Full blog: curiousminds.org.uk/creating-wel...

📣 TICKETS NOW LIVE 🌟 Symposium: Teaching Artistry in Action 📆 December 2nd 📍 Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool Join teaching artists, cultural leaders, funders, and policymakers to explore how we make teaching artistry visible, valued, and sustained.

THIS FRIDAY (World Mental Health Day), we're bringing creative freelancers together for some much-needed peer connection. 90 mins of reflection, recharge & real talk. 📅 10 Oct, 11:00-12:30 💻 Online, free, limited spaces Facilitated by psychotherapist Ros Norford.

Curious Works Placement: Event Producer with Curious Minds We’re looking for two creative and enthusiastic young people someone to take the lead on planning and running our interactive creative careers fair in Wigan in January ’26.

Teachers, last chance to apply for Cohort 1!

Upcoming in October! We have a series of free and online events that you can sign up for this month. Thread 1/5

What does good practice look like for a teaching artist? Are you an artist? Do you teach? Then you are a teaching artist! - But what is good practice? - Is it about artistic excellence? - Is it about access and inclusion? - Is it about inspiring others to create?

Creativity, according to psychologists 🤔 In his second blog, Saul Argent explores the concept of creativity. - What is creativity? - How creativity is valued globally. - How to define and categorise creativity and more... It's a fantastic read: curiousminds.org.uk/creativity-a...

Curious Works Placement: Social Media Assistant, with Curious Minds We’re looking for a creative and enthusiastic young person to help us to plan and shape our social media content, You’ll be part of our communications team, helping us to come up with content ideas and plan posts.

Teaching artistry is the work that sits at the heart of our cultural sector. It’s how artists connect, educate, and shape the next generation. But too often, it’s undervalued or unseen.

📣 3 weeks to apply! Are you a teacher looking to bring more creativity & arts into the school day? Want to see how creative approaches can boost learning across your curriculum? Leading the Arts in Your School CPD applications are open! But not for long... curiousminds.org.uk/leading-the-...

This week at Curious Minds 1️⃣ Wednesday 24th September. 12pm to 1pm: Keeping Working-Class Stories Alive With Jayne Williams (New Perspectives Theatre Company) - our latest The Hour: Spotlight. Join us: thehourspotlightsep25.eventbrite.co.uk