‘What Next?’ is one of over 213 winning projects and will be running a scheme to provide a range of different types of informal learning opportunities in The Forum.
The Forum Trust will lead the project in partnership with other public, voluntary and private organisations from across Norwich and Norfolk.
‘What Next?’ will complement what people see and hear in Fusion, The Forum’s giant digital screen gallery. Measuring an incredible 24m, Fusion is Europe’s largest permanent facility of this kind and shows a programme of work by students, artists, historians, filmmakers and community groups.
If what people see and hear in Fusion sparks an interest, ‘What Next?’ will offer a variety of different ways to find out more about the subject.
Friendly, informal and completely FREE, anyone who visits Fusion can stay and chat to the What Next? team. This can be as simple as having a question about the show or that they need help in finding ways to develop their interest further; which could even lead to a new hobby, a new qualification or even a new career!
The Forum is an ideal centre for an informal project of this kind, housing an abundance of free community resources which can support ‘What Next’? These include the UK’s most popular library, the Norfolk & Norwich Millennium Library, the Learning Shop and BBC Voices.
‘What Next?’ sessions will be open weekdays from 10am to 2pm and staff will be recognisable by their ‘What Next?’ badge. The sessions will be connected to what’s on in Fusion and programme details can be obtained by visiting The Forum event calendar at theforumnorwich.co.uk, telephoning 01603 727 950 or picking up a copy of The Forum Event Guide inside The Forum, which lists all Fusion shows.
John Smith, Manager of Strategic Developments at The Forum Trust say’s “The ‘What Next?’ partnership will be the first time such a diverse range of organisations has worked so closely together in a single initiative and in a single public space in Norwich. Effectively, The Forum will become one huge informal learning venue that draws on its own resources and on the expertise of partners to help develop people’s interests and encourage more people in to learning, especially those who would not usually participate”.
A similar recent initiative held by The Forum Trust was ‘Wot’s Face Tube’, which turned Fusion into a ‘drop-in’ centre for adults interested in understanding social networking sites like Facebook and You Tube. Year 6 children from Costessey and West Earlham Junior Schools in Norwich gave up a week of their summer holiday to turn teacher and connect grown-ups with activities usually associated with younger generations. The activity was extremely successful and engaged participants of all ages including one lady who was 100 years old.
Across the nation, a diverse array of informal adult learning projects will be getting underway, ranging from creative music master classes for people out of work or education, learning adventures for isolated older people and reading opportunities for the over 60s.
This grant is from the £20 million Transformation Fund, launched by Government to offer funding for to innovative informal adult learning projects in England. This brings to life The Learning Revolution, a White Paper presented to Parliament in March 2009.
The projects, many spearheaded by partnerships between public, private and third sector organisations, will help improve mental health, physical well-being, active citizenship and community cohesion, as well as providing a stepping stone towards further learning, qualifications and employment for many people.
Projects include:
• An initiative to engage more than 2,000 adults who are not currently in training, employment or education, through celebrity-led creative music and media tasters, master classes and workshops, led by a partnership which includes Global Radio, the parent group of Heart FM, LBC and Galaxy stations.
• A partnership between Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, Merseytravel, Urbis and a National Trust property which will create ‘learning journeys’ for young people 19-25, older people living in isolation and people recovering from substance abuse. Each learner will use a free bus pass to take journeys around travel ‘lines’, including the Engineering Line, the Football Line and the Mersey Beat Line.
• A project at Tyneside Cinema, in partnership with Newcastle University, to use the cinema’s new spaces and facilities to deliver digital technology, moving image, communications and IT learning to a wide range of people from different social backgrounds and develop online learning tools for others to share.
• A massive campaign, led by Booktrust and delivered through GP surgeries, libraries and Adult Education centres, to inspire thousands of over-60s to take up reading or writing for pleasure.
Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Skills and Consumer Affairs, said:
“We’re happy to announce 213 successful recipients of our Transformation Fund grants, awarded in the face of stiff competition from a field of 1,400 applications. With projects ranging from creative writing and music to reading and art, it’s encouraging to see so many imaginative ideas for giving adults more opportunities to learn for the love of it.”
“The benefits of learning for pleasure in an informal setting are wide-ranging, and they benefit the community as well as the individual. I hope that many people will develop the confidence and the local connections to take a big step towards a brighter future.”
The announcement about the latest Transformation Fund grants follows the award of £1 million worth of ‘early bird’ funding in July.
Alan Tuckett, Chief Executive of NIACE, added:
“NIACE is proud to have the role of supporting the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in managing the Transformation Fund. We argued in our response to the Informal Adult Learning consultation that there is no better stimulus for local adult learning providers than the creation of a fund to trigger innovation and new partnerships.”
“There’s already evidence from the ‘early bird’ bids of how creative and imaginative community-based adult learning can be when given the funding to put ideas into practice.”
Informal adult learning encompasses a wide variety of activities and can range from a self-organised reading group in a village hall to a guided visit to nature reserve or stately home. Other Learning Revolution activities include The Learning Revolution Festival: a month-long celebration of informal adult learning that kicks off in October 2009.
To find out more about The Learning Revolution, visit: www.bis.gov.uk/learningrevolution.
- Ends -
Notes to editors:
1. To find out what the Transformation Fund grants are for, download the Learning Revolution Transformation Fund prospectus at www.transformationfund.org.uk/about-transformation-fund.
2. To find out more about ‘What Next’, please contact Kelly Turner on 01603 727 980, email or visit www.theforumnorwich.co.uk.
The Forum is the landmark Millennium building for the East of England. It was funded by the Millennium Commission with matched funding from Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council and the business community. It is managed by The Forum Trust, an independent, self-financing charitable organisation. The Trust is a passionate leader and facilitator of projects, partnerships and positive change in Norwich, Norfolk and beyond.
Through the landmark Forum building and pioneering enterprises, The Forum Trust is able to inspire individuals and whole communities, encourage opportunities in learning and new technology, promote the region’s history and heritage and provide a diverse cultural and recreational amenity for the enjoyment of all.
3. Through the Transformation Fund grants, partnerships of public, private and third sector organisations in England are creating projects to:
• Encourage more and different people into informal learning, particularly people from disadvantaged groups;
• Open up access to learning in new places, in new ways and at more flexible times;
• Support people to set up self-organised groups and learning clubs;
• Widen choice, by developing and sharing innovative content;
• Build partnerships and strengthen the capacity of informal adult learning organisations;
• Improve connections and progression between different kinds of learning; and
• Make better use of broadcasting and technology to stimulate and support learning.
4. The Transformation Fund adds to the £210 million which the Government has already ring-fenced to support informal adult learning. The Government also invests £360 million each year in museums and galleries, £10 million in UK online centres, libraries and other community venues and £21.5 million in union learning.