An innovative programme which brings art and culture into the social services at Barking and Dagenham has gone digital. New Town Culture, a pioneering initiative which explores how art and cultural experiences can frame the work of social care to support adults and children in need of social care services.

Since it was introduced in 2018, over 600 local youngsters have benefitted from the scheme. This includes children and young people in foster care, care leavers or those at risk of sexual exploitation.

The programme will now share its findings through its digital platform at newtownculture.org, to audiences beyond Barking and Dagenham with the aim of seeing its ground-breaking practices adopted far and wide.

New Town Culture not only plays a key role in building a more resilient future but continues to support systemic change for social care practice which will improve outcomes for the most vulnerable in our society.

To coincide with its launch on 18 November, New Town Culture will present a live-streamed roundtable, bringing together artists, social workers, academics and care workers. Participants will include Lord Patel, Chair of Social Work England; April Bald, Director for Children’s Care and Support in Barking and Dagenham; Claudia Bernard, Joint Head of Social Work, Therapeutic and Community Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. 

The online event, which is open to everyone, will also be recorded and available to download at www.newtownculture.org to book tickets visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hopeful-disruption-positive-change-in-social-work-and-art-tickets-191185369587

  

Councillor Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership & Engagement, said: “New Town Culture’s engagement fits around the complex worlds of young adults and children. Over the past three years, it has delivered an ambitious programme of workshops, clubs, exhibitions, live performances and mentoring to children and young people, deemed most at risk of exclusion and offending. By creating an online platform from which to share its resources, New Town Culture not only plays a key role in building a more resilient future but continues to support systemic change for social care practice which will improve outcomes for the most vulnerable in our society.”

Councillor Maureen Worby, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration said: “New Town Culture breaks new ground in research, training and policy development. It works with artists and local groups to transfer the learning and best practices that come from these relationships into tools that social care professionals can use to work with some of the most vulnerable members of our community. I would encourage anyone who seeks new ways to creatively inspire and engage vulnerable young people to access it’s free online resources.”