About Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a county of rich contrasts, stretching from the edge of Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire in the north, to the outskirts of London in the south. It borders Buckinghamshire to the west and Essex to the east. While there is no natural centre or major urban conurbation, there is a rich mix of rural and urban environments.

On the whole, Hertfordshire is a prosperous county with one of the strongest economies in the UK. One exception to this is the new town of Stevenage, which hosted the Creativity for Life project. A significant number of Stevenage people do not enjoy the same quality of life as many people have in the rest of Hertfordshire. The town has the highest take-up of free school meals, the lowest GCSE achievement rate and high rates of unemployment, with 10% of adults claiming benefits.

However, despite its social and economic challenges, Stevenage is a vibrant, friendly town with a strong identity. People who come to live in Stevenage like the town and tend to stay. We are now seeing second, third and sometimes a fourth generation of families living and working in the town. It has been this energy and sense of community, alongside hardworking, talented artists and dedicated schools that has made this project so exciting and inspirational to work on.

‘The Creativity for Life project has given a large number of children across the town the opportunity to engage in a variety of creative activities, enriching their education, raising their aspirations and enabling them to have a lot of fun with their learning.’
(Judith Moore, Headteacher, Bedwell Primary School)

Creativity for Life has been managed by Catherine Rose’s Office and supported by a Steering Group consisting of the County Arts Development Officer, the Head of Music Service, the Stevenage Museum and Arts Officer, the Arts Education Development Officer, the Headteacher of Bedwell School and Arts Council England East. We have also had additional support from the Hertfordshire English Advisor.

Web Links Contact Details

To find out about artists in residence: www.artistsineducation.org
For Hertfordshire County Council: www.hertsdirect.com
For the Hertfordshire Music Service : www.hertsmusicservice.org.uk
For Stevenage Museum: www.stevenage.gov.uk/leisureandculture/museum

Contact Details

Suzanne Rider, Arts Education Development Officer and project coordinator suzanne.rider@hertscc.gov.uk
Catherine Davis, County Arts Development Officer catherine.davis@hertscc.gov.uk
James Dickinson, Head of Hertfordshire Music Servicejames.dickinson@hertscc.gov.uk
Jo Ward, Stevenage Museum jo.ward@stevenage.gov.uk