Digital Developments in the Cultural Sector Podcast (Moving IT On Series)

This podcast series (created by Festival Bridge in partnership with Royal Opera House Bridge) aims to help both education and arts/cultural professionals understand and capitalise on the digital developments that have taken place in the last few years. The series brought together senior leaders from schools and MATs, and learning and participation colleagues from cultural organisations to discuss what worked, what didn’t and everything in between. We hope that this period of digital development results in better use of online approaches to extend and deepen cultural learning experiences for communities across the region.

If you are a teacher, cultural professional or freelance artist there is something for you in the podcast series. There are insights into blended learning, partnerships, impact & evaluation, innovation, the opportunities and challenges of digital delivery and the benefits of dedicated learning platforms.

Listen to the podcast series on Spotify

Episode One – The Difference a Year Makes – Schools

Angie Hamilton, Strategic Lead from the Wensum Trust joins Johanne Clifton, Director of Curriculum and Virtual Learning for The Elliot Foundation to share their digital learning journeys, discuss the future of remote/blended education and provide some tips and guidance for arts and cultural organisations as they consider ‘what next?’ for digital.

Episode Two – The Difference a Year Makes – Arts Organisations

Sharon Williams, Artist Director of N-Act Theatre Company joins Sophie Channon, Development Manager at Cambridge Junction to share their experiences of arts organisations’ digital evolutions over the past few years and how this has impacted their education partnerships in how they support the needs of pupils and teachers.

Episode Three – Impact and Evaluation

We focus on impact and evaluation, highlighting some of the resources and approaches used by colleagues within the education sector to ensure that digital and blended practices achieve maximum impact. This episode brings together colleagues Hannah Tyreman from the Chartered College of Teaching and Gary Futcher from Real Ideas Organisation.

Episode Four – Connecting with Schools

The arts and cultural sector’s response to the pandemic generated new and innovative ways of connecting and working with schools. Post pandemic, it’s evident that we need a review of how we engage with the education sector. In this episode we hear from Abi Marrison, Education Programme Manager at Festival Bridge, and Isabel Morgan, Communications Officer at Festival Bridge, and we also hear from Norwich Puppet Theatre’s Zannie Fraser.

Episode Five – Is the future blended?

This episode delves into the opportunities and challenges of virtual delivery focusing on the innovative work of Dance East and their Digital Primaries programme. We are joined by Lucy Bayliss, Head of Creative Programmes at Dance East and Tom Hobden, Freelance Choreographer, Educationalist, Mentor and Artistic Director of We are Unit.

Episode Six – The Positives of Platforms

The final edition of the podcast series explores the benefits of learning platforms, with guest Amy McGann, Head of National Programmes within the Learning and Participation department at Royal Opera House. The episode focuses on the work of the Royal Opera House and its highly successful learning platform.

Podcast playlists:

Episodes for Creative Learning and Programming Leads

• Episode Two – The Difference a Year Makes – Arts Organisations
• Episode Three – Impact and Evaluation
• Episode Five – Is the future blended?

Episodes for Communications and Digital Leads

• Episode Four – Connecting with Schools
• Episode Six – The Positives of Platforms

Episodes for Teachers and Schools

• Episode One – The Difference a Year Makes – Schools
• Episode Two – The Difference a Year Makes – Arts Organisations
• Episode Three – Impact and Evaluation