The Best Practice Network support professionals working with children and young people in the creative and cultural sectors, fostering a community of shared learning and development.
The Network is shaped by its members, who help decide the topics, speakers, and opportunities explored together.
Join our Best Practice Network: Sign up today
After joining the Best Practice Network, members will be added to our mailing list and receive Eventbrite linkS to RSVP for upcoming meetings.
Connect Through Online and In-Person Meet-Ups
The Network meets up regularly (three times a year) in person and online, to hear best practices from speakers, share experiences and support, and find opportunities for collaboration.
Curated Sector Learning and Opportunities
You’ll also receive regular mailouts with curated opportunities, insights, and news from across the creative learning sector.
Share Your Opportunities and Work with the Network
We also invite our network members to share their work and opportunities with our wider networks. If you have exciting work, events, or announcements to share, we can feature them in:
- The Cultural Sector Newsletter
- Best Practice Network events and mailout
- Cultural Sector Masterclasses
Upcoming network meet-ups:
We’ve planned three network meet-ups for the year ahead, focusing on the topics most requested by members. Each session will feature speakers from the Best Practice and A New Direction networks, sharing their practice and tips on the topic, then informal discussion to learn from each other – with plenty of snacks and drinks too!
To receive invitations to the meet-ups, sign up to the Best Practice Network.
Mental Health and Wellbeing for Children and Young People
Date & Time: Tuesday 6 October 2026, 9:30am-10:30am
Location: Online
With increasing mental health needs of the young people we work with, how can we improve our practice in supporting their wellbeing?
Hear from Two Temple Place on how they co-design wellbeing programmes and make exhibitions a space of care, and from Coin Street on their approach to caring for young participants. Learn from our speakers’ experience, share your challenges and support each other to improve.
Effective Work with Schools
Date & Time: Tuesday 9 March 2027, 3pm-5pm
Location: Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
Want to find better ways to communicate with time-poor teachers, or understand what schools need from us in a changing environment?
Join us at the new Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration to learn about the creative tips and logistic challenges of their work with schools of all types, plus hear from a school leader about their side of what makes effective work together. Find new solutions, share your ideas, and discuss with others who do similar work. Arrive early from 2pm to explore the Centre while it’s closed!
Social and Cultural Inclusion
Date & Time: Thursday 10 June 2027, 9am – 11am
Location: Roundhouse
How do we create programmes where children and young people from all social backgrounds feel able to participate?
Learn from the Roundhouse team’s approach to access at scale, from financial support to representation - and from Kirsten Ho’s extensive experience in turning policies into meaningful practice. Hear each others’ tips, discuss your goals, and enjoy snacks and drinks with others in the sector who can support you.
When you join the network you will be sent Outlook calendar invites and a welcome email to sign up to the events on Eventbrite.
Best Practice Network: learn and share with others who understand | Read Kate Oliver’s Blog
Hear about the Best Practice Network from facilitator Kate Oliver, who leads on organising the programme. In this blog, Kate reflects on the past year of the Best Practice Network. Kate shares what makes this community of cultural practitioners so needed and so valuable.
Email us if you have any questions or queries at culturalsector@anewdirection.org.uk and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Join our Best Practice Network: Sign up today
