Visit from Deputy Mayor Jules Pipe
On Wednesday 30 November, we were honoured to welcome deputy Mayor, Jules Pipe, to our Centre for Learning Disabilities Education, which offers a creative arts-focussed portfolio of courses for adults with learning disabilities.
Beacon of Inclusive Education
After meeting at the Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards, we invited Jules to come and see our fantastic students in action and meet with our Principal Mark Malcomson CBE, our Head of Centre for Learning Disabilities Education, Michael Donlevy, and some of our governors. Jules is a huge supporter and friend of City Lit, which he’s hailed as “a beacon of inclusive education”; something that’s extremely valued by the community at the college.
During his visit he visited the Art Workshop class, taught by Michael Donlevy, for adults with learning disabilities, and the Percussion Orchestra in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Music, led by Alex Thomas, and saw performances of some of their musical pieces.
He also awarded the team with the Inclusive Provider of Adult Education award for the second time, which we won for our Centre for Learning Disabilities Education at the first Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards last month. You can read more about our success at the Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards here.
Centre for Learning Disabilities Education
Our Centre for Learning Disability Education offers a creative arts-focussed portfolio of courses for adults with learning disabilities. Centred around the creative arts and self-advocacy, we provide a range of subjects including visual arts, dance, drama, music, leadership and public speaking.
The Adult Learning Awards champion the important role of adult learning in the capital, and celebrate the contributions of Londoners, employers, learning providers and supporting organisations.
Creative Curriculum for adults with learning disabilities
Michael Donlevy, Head of Centre for Learning Disabilities Education at City Lit said: “We were absolutely delighted when Jules accepted our invitation to visit City Lit so we could showcase the incredibly important work we do for adults with learning disabilities. After meeting him at the Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards in October, we knew he’d appreciate seeing our facilities and meeting some of our students in person to understand how our courses can support the development of communication skills, choice making and independence.
“We run an experimental creative curriculum and cover most of the art forms – the thread throughout those subjects is self-advocacy for our students. We’ve created a nurturing trusted community that allows our students to thrive, and we feel incredibly privileged to have been able to host Jules and allow him to experience this first hand.”
