We are delighted to announce that Sampad has been awarded £156,000 funding through the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s (PHF) Teacher Development Fund.
This exciting two-year programme will support teachers and school leaders across Birmingham to develop creative, arts-based approaches to teaching History through Drama and Dance. Working alongside a network of primary schools serving communities experiencing social and economic disadvantage, the project will equip educators with the skills to embed creativity into everyday classroom practice.
Activating Sampad’s mission to break down barriers, amplify unheard voices and celebrate South Asian arts and heritage, we will explore innovative ways of engaging pupils through child-led learning, co-creation, role play and creative inquiry, helping young people connect more deeply with historical narratives and their own experiences.
Catherine Sutton, Head of Programme – Education at PHF, said:
Learning through the arts can engage and inspire young people, support key educational outcomes, and develop skills that prepare them for the next phase of their lives. Bringing arts into schools can help children to overcome barriers to learning and make a real and lasting difference to school communities.
We are delighted to announce the partnerships that have received a grant in the latest round of the Teacher Development Fund. We were impressed by the quality of applications and look forward to seeing how the projects equip teachers with the skills and confidence to build equitable, arts-rich classrooms where all learners can thrive.
The project will involve intensive professional development, mentoring and collaborative learning opportunities, enabling teachers to develop sustainable approaches that can be shared across their schools and beyond.
Through this work, we aim to support more inclusive, culturally responsive and engaging learning environments, ensuring that all children have access to high-quality arts-rich education.
Bhavik Parmar, Executive Director Sampad said:
We are incredibly grateful to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for investing in this exciting programme. This funding will enable Sampad to work alongside teachers across Birmingham to bring history to life through drama and dance, providing them with creative skills, confidence and approaches that can have a lasting impact in the classroom. By combining arts-based learning with curriculum delivery, we hope to inspire young people to engage more deeply with history, see their own stories and heritage reflected in their learning and experience the transformative power of the arts. Most importantly, the project will create a legacy that continues long after the programme ends, as teachers embed these approaches across their schools and share them with colleagues.
We are grateful to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for their support and look forward to working with our school partners to deliver this ambitious programme over the coming two years.
