Welcome

We're kicking off 2026 with some fantastic free teacher networking and CPD opportunities!  Make a note in your diaries and please book in advance:

SEND/Galleries Group, Wed 14th Jan, 1-3pm at Wollaton Hall

Global Dance CPD, Thurs 22 Jan, 12-3pm at Southwark Primary

Culturemeet, Mon 26th Jan, 4-5pm ONLINE

Andy Warhol, Tues 27th Jan, 3.30pm-5pm at Lakeside Arts 

Part of our Cultural Rucksack, Teaching for Creativity programme - supporting teachers get creative and enhance creativity in education settings.  For enquiries and to book, please email ChalleNge Manager, cathy.mahmood@ntu.ac.uk or book via links above. 

Join the next community of practice meeting to develop collaboration around children's art, well-being and nature projects. Open to teachers, creative practitioners and organisations working in this sphere, to learn from each other and develop collaborative projects to enhance nature connections for children and young people. 

This work draws on local forest school networks, University research, Citizen Science projects, arts-based nature projects and international links with other Child Friendly cities and Cities of Literature.

Register your interest in joining the Nature Connections Community of Practice and RSVP for Fri 30th Jan: RSVP here  

Could you support your pupils to submit an entry to the Young Creative Awards?  
For 11- 25 year olds - deadline is midnight on 16th March 2026. 

Categories: 

• Animation & Digital Media
• Creative Writing
• Dance
• Design & Architecture
• Fashion & Textiles
• Film
• Graphic Design
• Music
• Photography
• Visual Arts

Find out about the Young Creative Awards 2026  

Deadline: Sat 31 Jan 2026

The Children and Young People’s Survey is open! Help your children and pupils to have their say. It is simple to take part:

- Access online and printable surveys here 
Children & Young Peoples' Surveys

- Request printed booklets. Child Friendly Nottingham will deliver and collect surveys to schools: contact child.friendly@nottinghamcity.gov.uk 

- Request a visit from the Child Friendly Nottingham team for an assembly, break‑time stand, or a classroom session tailored to your accessibility needs.  

This year, we want to reach 5% of Nottingham’s young people, a milestone that can genuinely influence positive change across the city. If every school aims to complete the survey with five classrooms, it can happen! 

As part of Child Friendly Nottingham's ambition to raise awareness of children's rights to be heard and listened to, we've been working with Nottingham-based creative producer Nicola Curzon to create imaginative and colourful Voice Boxes for schools across the city. Children have designed and selected their ideas and Nicola has made them a reality - providing the school with a wooden mascot that perfectly matches the children's drawing,  Schools have then decorated their creature and are launching their Voice boxes this term as part of their wider commitments to Pupil Voice in school. 

NEWS FLASH - schools can still participate in the Voice Box project and have their own wooden boxes made. This project is fully funded by Child Friendly Nottingham - so don't delay - get in touch if you would like a voice box for your school! Email cathy.mahmood@ntu.ac.uk

The Cultural Guarantee is a commitment by schools to actively promote and embed a broad range of creative experiences for all pupils, increasing visits to galleries, theatres and museums, to ensure that every child can access localised provision of arts and culture. The underpinning ethos supports immersive learning, enrichment and access to the vibrant cultural life of the city. 

Schools can join our Cultural Rucksack network to receive regular communications and support to build a Cultural Guarantee for their pupils - shaping their own commitment to culture and the arts within their school. 

We are actively building our Cultural Rucksack network of schools, offering regular CPD from ChalleNGe partners and support through the SEND/ Galleries group; sharing learning and mutual support across the arts and education sector. Find out more 

Art of Belonging is a city-wide programme that seeks to welcome refugees and asylum seekers in Nottingham. The Art of Belonging Pledge has now been signed by 14 arts organisations and we have a growing network of creative practitioners who are being supported to facilitate sessions with new arrivals. From partnership projects with NEST (the Nottingham Education Sanctuary team) and arts venues, to the Refugee Roots regular creative programme and collaborations with Nottingham Playhouse, NAE and more - there are many ways you can support this work and get involved. 

Child Friendly Nottingham is a city-wide partnership programme to put children's rights into practice. Lots of organisations are supporting children and young people to have a meaningful say in local decisions, services and spaces. Training and resources from UNICEF are available for teams and organisations to get involved.  

Over 9000 children and young people collaborated to choose 3 'badges' (areas to focus on) which are: Safe and Secure; Education & Learning and Healthy. 'Equal and included is the golden thread, linking all our work together.  

Every year, we work in partnership with Catherine Kirk from Nottingham City Council on developing a collaborative schools project and resources to celebrate Relationship & Sex Education (RSE) Day. 

For 2025, the theme was 'Communicate' focusing on healthy, positive communication in relationships. We commissioned artist Millie Yarwood to gather children and young people’s views and create a mural in the Arboretum. Millie also run a creative CPD session for teachers. Find out about the work of the Achieve Well Team and get involved!

RSE Day Workshop 2025 

Connecting Notts is our Youth Board that meets monthly to bring together representatives from ChalleNGe arts and community partners (16-26 year olds) and develop a Young Creatives Network, in partnership with Young Creatives Nottingham. 

Check out the Connecting Notts website to Find Groups 

Find Opportunities 

Find People

Connecting Notts Blog

We believe that art opportunities should be on every child's doorstep, in neighbourhoods, schools and parks - as well as within the fabulous arts venues of our city.  

We work in close partnership with Bulwell Arts Festival (hosted by One Vision Partnership), Bilborough Arts Festival and the new Clifton Arts Festival group to support local creative activities in community centres, schools and libraries in these local neighbourhoods. Get in touch if you'd like to get involved. 

We're delighted to be working in partnership with schools, communities, arts partners and our two Universities to celebrate our diverse languages and dialects in Nottingham. 

Thanks to funding from NTU, 8 partnership projects have been supported to explore new partnerships between arts organisations, schools and community groups to highlight and celebrate Languages within their work.

We are also excited to be the Community partner for a Co(l)laboratory and welcome Jack Benjamin as our PhD researcher.