Cultural Capital

Cultural Capital

Cultural capital is the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success. It is about giving children the best possible start to their early education as well as enhancing the experience and opportunities available to children, particularly the most disadvantaged. Source: Cultural Learning Alliance (u.d.). Available from: culturallearningalliance.org.uk/what-is-cultural-capital

Key Question: How do you address cultural capital?

Examples:

• Do you draw on the cultural and intergenerational knowledge of your students, their friends, carers, families and communities?

Key Question: Does your curriculum allow students to explore the world around them both historically and through contemporary art and culture?

Examples:

• Is there an opportunity to compare the ways in which similar issues are tackled historically and contemporarily? For example: When researching portraits do you explore the exclusionary historic portraits of white, wealthy, powerful men and their families compared to contemporary portraits that explore a much wider depiction of ‘all’ lives lived.
• How is gender, race, sexuality, disability, class and the protected characteristics represented in the works shown?
• Do the works shown perpetuate or challenge unconscious bias?

Cultural Capital Resource Examples:

1. B.A.M.E is L.A.M.E (2018) by Rayvenn Shaleigha D'Clark. Available to view here
2. Larry Achiampong on Race and Inclusion in Art Education (2022) by Lou Mensah. Available to view here
3. What is cultural capital? (2019) by Cultural Learning Alliance. Available to view here

 

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