Line-up announced for Culture Cares Conference 2021

Published Tuesday 5th Oct 2021
Including key note speakers Darren Henley & Ashley John-Baptiste, plus a new performance co-created with care-experienced young people.

Derby Theatre, Plus One and Derby’s Cultural Education Partnership are thrilled to announce the line-up of speakers and schedule for the Culture Cares Conference 2021.

In-Person and Online

The 2021 conference will take place both in-person at Derby Theatre and online on Tuesday 16 November, 10am – 5pm.

If you attend online, you will be able to watch all speakers, performances and presentations via a livestream from Derby Theatre and attend breakout sessions on Zoom.

Performance by Young People

The day features a brand-new performance co-created with care-experienced young people, commissioned by Arts Council England for this event.

Young people in the care system have something to say. They want us to know that they are more than just a case file written by someone else. This show will be a magical dive underwater where we meet the sea turtles who carry their stories on their backs and help to show the young people that they can be the authors of their own stories.

Culture Cares Plus One Performance

Photography by Chris Webb: Culture Cares Conference 2018 featuring attendees, Plus One participants, performance Leaving by Curious Monkey and performance Trust In Care by Nathan Geering.

Key Note Speakers

Speakers at this year’s conference include:

– Arts Council England’s Chief Executive Darren Henley 

– Acclaimed BBC broadcaster and presenter, Ashley John-Baptiste, who grew up in the care system from the age of four and was nominated for the Young Talent of the Year award at this year’s RTS Television Journalism Awards.

– Sophie Willan – Award-winning actor, comedian and writer of Alma’s Not Normal

Culture Cares Conference 2021 speakers Darren Henley and Ashley John Baptiste

Schedule

9am – 10am: Registration

10am – 10:15am: Official Welcome from Lucy & Sam (Plus One Ambassadors)

10:15am – 11am: Plus One Performance

11am – 11:30am: Break

11:30am – 11:50am: Key Note Speaker Darren Henley (Chief Executive, Arts Council England)

11:50am – 12pm: Presentation by Emily Bowman (Deputy CEO, The Mighty Creatives)

12pm – 12:30pm: Key Note Speaker Ashley John Baptiste (Journalist and Presenter)

12:30am – 1:30pm: Lunch

1:30pm – 2:30pm: Breakout Session 1

2:30pm – 3pm: Break

3pm – 4pm: Breakout Session 2

4:15pm – 5pm: Sophie Willan, Final Reflections and Call To Action from Young People

Culture Cares 2021

Breakout Sessions

The in-person sessions will be delivered by Leicestershire Cares, Curious Monkey, Ava Hunt Theatre, Plus One & Derby City Virtual School or Articulate.

The online sessions will be delivered by Blue Cabin and The Big House.

About Culture Cares

In response to the current Care Review (England), Culture Cares brings the cultural and care sectors together for insightful and lively conversations, presentations and workshops.

Together we will explore how arts and culture are making a positive impact and creating pathways in the lives of care-experienced young people.

The conference has been developed in partnership with partners of the Esmée Fairbairn Young People Leaving Care funding stream, including Curious MonkeyBlue Cabin and Articulate.

This is a radical investment programme with the aim of challenging and changing injustice and structural inequality for care leavers.  We are very excited that they will be joining us to lead many of our breakout sessions to share their approaches.