About Local Cultural Education Partnerships

Local Cultural Education Partnerships (LCEPs), launched by Arts Council England (ACE) in October 2015 to help meet the Cultural Education Challenge, are innovative cross-sector, strategic partnerships that work together to unite and improve cultural education for children and young people in local areas.

LCEP partnerships comprise as wide a range as possible of arts, cultural and heritage providers, music education hubs, schools, and higher education institutions, local authorities – and employers. In each Local Cultural Education Partnership, a Bridge Organisation works with the partners, and other funders to drive a joined-up art and cultural offer locally, to share resources and bring about a more coherent and visible delivery of cultural education.

The role of LCEPS

There are a range of key functions that an LCEP might perform to strengthen cultural education in their community:

• Strategic Development - LCEPs can undertake needs analysis to determine problematic areas of provision and set out a vision and strategic direction. They lend credibility and visibility to local cultural education and can be an effective group to coordinate advocacy.
• Delivery - LCEPs can facilitate the better alignment of resources, and, through coordination, enhance the quantity, quality and coherence of cultural offer.
• Cross Sector Collaboration - LCEPs provide an ideal opportunity to network with partners from different sectors in order to become aware of a wider range of activities in a location, and to identify possible areas of collaborative working.

There are currently two LCEPs in Bedfordshire: Bedford Arts and Cultural Education (BACE) and Luton Cultural Education Partnership. Both of which are supported by Royal Opera House Bridge Organisation (ROH Bridge).

The University of Bedfordshire Arts and Culture Projects team are the strategic lead and a delivery partner for both LCEPs, providing in-kind support through participation in Steering and Delivery Groups, as well as being the lead applicant for Partnerships Investment (PI) with ROH Bridge for both LCEPs.

More Information

Contact the Arts and Culture Projects team if you would like to get involved with the Local Cultural Education Partnership events and opportunities.

Furthermore, if you are interested in knowing what wider work the University of Bedfordshire does with local schools and colleges please visit the Collaborative Projects team's Aspire Higher website