Partners

KEAP is Cornwall’s strategic organisation for the arts in education.  Our work now falls under two main strands; The Story Republic – outreach and public projects, performances and installations celebrating the place of story in Cornwall’s culture; and The Writers’ Block – a unique hub for creative writing where we deliver innovative programmes and workshops to increase literacy levels and enjoyment in writing for all ages, across the community.

Patron: Sir Tim Rice

Cornwall College are the largest education and training provider in the region, with over 35,000 learners each year, 2,000 of whom are studying a university programme with us. Cornwall College Camborne have donated the space which houses The Writers’ Block, and supports in numerous ways to the running of the venue. College staff use the space for sessions, and we have an ongoing project bringing a number of faculties together around a common theme.

Artsmark is the creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England. We are delighted to be an Artsmark Partner, part of an endorsed network of arts and cultural organisations that can support education settings on their Artsmark journey to embed arts and culture across the curriculum.

The Minack is a unique theatre perched on the cliffs high above the Atlantic ocean. They put on a full programme of drama, musicals and opera every summer, together with music, comedy and story-telling events. The Minack is also passionate about developing young people and emerging and professional writers. They support our Young Writers group, and run annual programmes for emerging playwrights with The Writers’ Block.

Hall for Cornwall is Cornwall’s largest theatre, and is currently undertaking a radical transformation to create a space that matches their ambition.

The current £21.6 million development will reawaken the beauty and history of City Hall, opening Hall for Cornwall up to the people, ideas and potential that make this corner of Britain so exciting.  They are due to open their doors again in 2020.

Meanwhile, The Writers’ Block have been working with them on a small part of their Heritage project, bringing the history of Truro to life through work with schools and the local community.

The Cornwall Music Education Hub (CMEH) is a partnership of music and arts organisations, both local and national, who work together to support quality musical learning for all children and young people in Cornwall.  The partnership is led by Cornwall Council.  It is funded by the Department for Education through Arts Council England and leads on the strategic development of Music Education in Cornwall.

Writing and music go hand in hand, so we are pleased that the Hub has partnered with The Writers’ Block on a number of projects where music leaders have worked in schools alongside a writer. The most recent of these has been a project with Geevor Tin Mine and Kan Rag Kernow Yownyk – Song for Cornwall Youth.

We are proud to be a partner of Who Dares Works, a partnership of organisations working together to help individuals in West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to reconnect with education, training and employment. Who Dares Works is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and the European Social Fund and led by Active Plus. It has secured a further £3.3million of funding to support the project to continue until December 2021. The Writers’ Block runs Creative Writing courses to support adults to increase their confidence, communication and writing skills, and help them think about where they want to be in the future.

Carefree works with young people, ages 11-25, who are in and leaving care. Our aim is to give young people in and leaving care the chance to do things for themselves and others.

Carefree is one of our community partners. They support us in training and development, and we offer creative writing workshops to their young people.

Geevor Tin Mine is a family friendly visitor attraction, giving everyone a great insight into Cornwall’s rich mining history. With stunning views of the rugged Cornish coastline, a large site of historic buildings and authentic underground experience, Geevor Tin Mine offers an inspirational trip for any age group.

The Writers’ Block has delivered a number of projects with Geevor, the most recent being ‘Old Stories, New Voices’ which brought together the stories of ex-Geevor miners and the ears, pens and voices of local primary school children.

Wheal Martyn is home to the UK’s only china clay mining museum. The museum tells the story of Cornwall’s largest mining industry, which is still alive today.  The museum, set in 26 acres of grounds, incorporates a preserved Victorian clay works and gives a fascinating insight into this important industry which shaped the lives, landscape and economy of Cornwall’s Clay Country and beyond.

Our 2020 project with Wheal Martyn celebrates ‘200 years of Clay’ where local primary schools to join in celebrating our unique heritage, sharing an appreciation of the local area and investing in every pupil’s Cultural Capital.