In 2009 Culture& received a £1 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) Skills for the Future to deliver Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL), a work-based accredited training programme in partnership with the UK’s leading arts and heritage institutions.
In 2017, the organisation was rebranded as Culture& and we reconfigured our activity to focus on training, workforce development and audience development through public programmes. In the same year Culture& received a further £1m funding from NLHF and host partner museums to deliver the New Museum School Skills for the Future programme which delivered 34 yearlong placements at leading arts and heritage organisations along with an accredited diploma qualification.
Millions of visitors have seen the work of our SOCL, and New Museum School trainees who have completed year-long traineeships in partnering world class cultural organisations such as the British Museum, Historic Royal Palaces, Royal Collection Trust, British Library, English Heritage and the Southbank Centre.