Welcome to Birmingham Arts School!
The arts have never been more important for our children and the future we all face than they are today. Whether it is about having your voice heard, or a sense of well being and connectedness, there is a compelling case for arts education. If you then look at the value of the Creative Industries there is an even stronger case for the arts and young people in a city like ours – we are thrilled then that the Birmingham Arts School has taken up the baton to address inequalities of access and opportunity in this area.
Birmingham Arts School (BAS) is funded jointly by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and The Arts Council. It is the first major project developed by Birmingham Creates, which is the city’s Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP). The school has been established as an urgently needed boost to arts education in the city. Felix Pepler – Principal, will lead this work, extending and deepening the impact of learning partnerships with the city’s many outstanding arts and cultural organisations. It will bring new creative learning opportunities to schools across the city, initially targeting communities that need it the most. It will develop new activities for teachers, children and young people through bringing schools and arts organisations together.
Meet the Team
Felix Pepler – Birmingham Arts School Principal
Felix has dedicated his career to understanding and applying the arts and creativity as tools for positive transformation within community and statutory education contexts. Felix holds a BA (hons) Degree in Creative Arts from Nottingham Trent University and a Master’s Degree in Cross-Sectoral and Community Arts from Goldsmiths College. Previously Head of Centre at Sandwell Council’s unique and widely renowned residential Arts Centre, Ingestre Hall, Felix is now Principal of Birmingham Arts School, a unique and ambitions programme bringing schools and arts organisations together to deepen and extend the impact of learning and engagement opportunities for young people through the arts.
Felix has held several consultant and project manager positions, each making an important contribution to the social and political discourse and development of Arts and Community Education. This includes: shaping the guiding principles and delivery methodology for the Government backed social action programme ‘Community Organisers’, advising schools and non-statutory arts and education groups throughout the UK on applying creativity and the arts as tools for school and social improvement and working as National Arts Director for the Social Action Charity RE:generate to lead on the design and delivery of creative and cultural community engagement and regeneration programmes.
Felix is MD of media and education company, Pepler Creative Ltd, a Moderator with Trinity College for Arts Award, a Director of The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom and a Fellow of the RSA. In his spare time, Felix is a musician, sound engineer and music producer.
Email Felix: felix.pepler@bep.education
Alison Haynes – Birmingham Arts School Programme Manager
Email Alison: alison.haynes@bep.education
Julie Ward – Arts Lead (Commonwealth Games)
Email Julie: julie.ward@bep.education
Lucy Kevern – Project Worker (Commonwealth Games)
Email Lucy: lucy.kevern@bep.education
