MADE is an architecture centre and registered charity in the West Midlands region of the UK. We involve residents in designing their own neighbourhoods by making sure they work alongside architects and developers as equal partners in regeneration projects.
MADE wishes to develop a European partnership to establish schools as cultural hubs for the whole community. Culture can make schools become the heart of a community as well as enhance learning and educational performance. Schools could do more to invite the community onto their premises for cultural activity. Schools have facilities which should be used by the whole community for performance and exhibition. And schools could make better use of the cultural facilities beyond their school gates, like theatre spaces and dance studios, for student learning, performance and installations. The UK has been investing in new school buildings which have included new cultural facilities – but how do we make sure these are used by the community? In some areas, the capital investment programmes have allowed young people to work on design teams with architects and artists to design their new buildings, fabricate new artworks, design new school uniforms, and in some cases even change the school timetable. Although these capital investment programmes are being reduced, the school curriculum is being freed up, bringing more opportunities to embed arts and culture within schools.