Flow co-ordinates the Cultivate (link Cultivate) action research project that is part of London’s Cultural Education Challenge.

Nine Elms on the South bank from Vauxhall to Battersea Power Station is undergoing a major regeneration project. While schools around Nine Elms benefit from being offered a number of cultural and place-related projects through the redevelopment, their impacts could be greater if they are developed more collaboratively with teachers and if the best aspects of practice are shared.

Cultivate aims to support the relationship between this changing area and the young people living nearby, to nurture quality projects and ensure opportunities to be involved are shared effectively. This should result in a place that is seen as both a cultural destination in the making and a starting point for a future creative generation.

With two years funding already secured through A New Direction, Wandsworth Borough Council and Nine Elms developers, we have the opportunity to shape and harness the impact that the regeneration work and public engagement will have on our local young people, and to celebrate and showcase this nationally. It is one of seven projects in the Cultural Education Challenge for London run by A New Direction, so it benefits from sharing practice as part of a bigger community.