Richard Luscombe Ivybridge Community College has been working with Argyle Community Trust and a host of national partners on a powerful collaboration aimed at creating positive change relating to culture, diversity, and race.
The Trust was initially approached by senior staff at the school following some incidents relating to race which everyone was determined to address by drawing upon the experience and connections at Argyle.
Trust Targeted Officer Kadus Smith met with Ivybridge Community College’s dedicated Equality and Diversity Lead Darby Ball and the amazing young people on the Student Council to discuss the issues the school were facing. Conversations then focused on strategies to create positive behavioral change through education, but also changes to policy to create legacy. The power of student voice and the influence this can have on peers being a particularly powerful driver.
From this, Culture Fest was born – a dedicated event at the school to celebrate and create pride in different cultures, and educate students on race, diversity, and inclusion.
The Trust enlisted the support of partner organisations specialising in promoting and celebrating culture. Plymouth Hope – a Devon based charity which aims to promote social inclusion by supporting people who may otherwise have become socially excluded; Tiny Travels – a local organisation who facilitate cultural learning through play; Cruising Flavours – a Plymouth-based catering company; and Diversity Business Incubator (DBI) – a business hub for minority ethnic entrepreneurs; Beyond Face – a South-West based theatre company providing opportunities for artists of the Global Majority to live, work, and thrive in the South West theatre sector, were all honoured to be involved.
The morning kicked off with presentations from Kadus, Plymouth Hope, and Miss Ball ahead of three workshops giving the young people the opportunity to discuss important issues and discuss potential solutions.
Lunch was provided by Cruising Flavours who used their skills to serve up delicious food from around the world. Some young people were experiencing cuisines for the first time.
The afternoon session was led by the Student Council who created a panel with Kadus, Beyond Face, and members of Diversity Business Incubator. Discussions were held on how the school can create a better culture and culminated in a question-and-answer session involving some very deep and thoughtful discussions. The young people had an opportunity to question their own behaviours and language and learn about the importance of multiculturalism, equality, and diversity. The day encouraging them to empathise and increase their respect and compassion for one another.
The school has already witnessed change. Students and staff have been focusing on anti-racist strategies, and there has been a noticeable improvement in student attitude and behaviour, creating a safer atmosphere around the college.
Kadus said: “It has been a massive achievement from everyone involved, and it is so pleasing to see the power of collaboration. It is great to see the school being proactive in dealing with these matters and seeing how we can facilitate systemic change using partners and the power of young people.
“It has been a proud moment for the Trust and for me personally seeing everyone be so passionate and making a stand against a very big issue in society.
“We are hoping this will be an annual event. We want to build momentum and get other schools involved so there is a much wider conversation. The possibilities for this are endless.”
Miss Ball added: “We continue to endeavour to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion both explicitly and implicitly in everything we do. Not only do we have a statutory responsibility to educate students via an inclusive curriculum, but we also highly value the impact this can have on our college culture and the wellbeing of our students.
“It has been a fantastic opportunity to work with Argyle Community Trust and collaborate on the design and delivery of our first Culture Fest. The rich experiences this has given our students not only champions an inclusive community but facilitates the development of responsible citizens.”
A year eight student said: “We can be different in many ways, but we can all explore new styles, foods, and see things in a new perspective. It allows us to be more at peace and be in an environment where we’re not scared for being different. Instead, we can embrace it.”
A year nine student said: “Celebrating diversity and multiculturalism is so important to me because it lets other people know about different cultures and ethnicities. It allows people to come together and talk. We can ask questions in a safe environment and learn from one another.”
A year 13 student said: “Diversity is important in all aspects of society from school settings to sports and competition but also within the world of work. All include different people from different experiences so learning about them at a young age is key for everyone to help join people together.”
You can find out more about the organisations involved in Culture Fest by visiting their website:
- Plymouth Hope plymouthhope.com
- Tiny Travels tinytravels.co.uk
- Cruising Flavours cruisingflavours.co.uk
- Diversity Business Incubator (DBI) dbi.org.uk
- Beyond Face beyondface.co.uk
For more information on Argyle Community Trust’s extensive equality, diversity, and inclusion work, contact Jason Chapman, dedicated ED&I Lead Jason.chapman@pafc.co.uk or to learn more about Culture Fest and how your school can get involved contact kadus.smith@pafc.co.uk.
