Culture. Conversation. Connection.
Become part of Culture Critics Club and join the cultural conversation.
What We Do
We love cultural criticism! This might sound fancy, but all it really means is looking at art and culture and having a good conversation about it. By "art" we mean anything from Shakespeare to The Devil Wears Prada, and by "culture" we mean both cultural activities we might choose to do, like reading or visiting an exhibition, and the culture in which we find ourselves, not necessarily by choice, such as the age of AI or "culture wars" - what are the bigger forces shaping our lives?
We believe that analysing culture together in a critical and respectful way is great fun and great for society.
We run courses for schools and adult learners.
Schools
Culture Critics Club for Schools
Culture Critics Club is a programme of interactive workshops for pupils in Years 10 - 13. Pupils are introduced to a broad range of art and culture, both classic and contemporary; this might be anything from a podcast, to an extract from a novel, to newspaper articles, a piece of visual art, a pop song, a Shakespeare soliloquy, or a TikTok video. Through a carefully crafted range of exercises, pupils are then supported to reflect critically on these cultural artefacts, in conversation with one another. They explore the artefacts both on their own merit and in relation to their cultural context, and investigate what they reveal to us more broadly about our own cultural context - the times we live in, the culture we consume, and the ideas we absorb, consciously or unconsciously.
Culture Critics Club is not about teaching pupils to quote Shakespeare or how to behave at the opera. It is about giving them the keys to the cultural conversation, so that they can help to shape it.
What's the impact?
Increased Intellectual Curiosity
Increased Confidence & Engagement in Class
Increased Critical Thinking & Tolerance
Pupils feel more positively encouraged towards learning and are more likely to undertake independent research into topics that interest them.
Pupils feel more confident to express new ideas and opinions without judgement or fear and become more engaged with related curriculum subjects such as English and history.
Pupils become more sceptical and questioning of online content, more able to mediate multiple points of view, and more tolerant of different opinions.
Why Invest?
In a changing world, critical and creative thinking has never been more important for young people.
The skills we cultivate open up pathways to higher education and interesting careers.
In the digital age of social media and disinformation, critical thinking and respectful discussion are a bulwark against extremism.
AI is rapidly changing the future of our economy. Interpersonal skills and creativity are going to be the defining features of jobs that are most resistant to automation.
About Us
Culture Critics Club was founded in 2022 by Sophie Ivatts under its initial name, Beyond The Syllabus. The pilot ran in partnership with City Learning Trust in Stoke-on-Trent, with 30 GCSE pupils at two different schools over the course of the academic year 2022 - 2023. Stand-alone sessions ran at other schools in Cheshire East and South Manchester.
The pilot was evaluated externally by an impact expert in higher education access programmes, Dr Tayler Meredith, and evidenced transformative impact. The programme went on hold between 2024 and 2025 whilst Sophie went on maternity leave. We are now preparing to relaunch for September 2026.
Even in the short time since 2022, the mandate for Culture Critics Club has grown ever stronger, with the rapid introduction of AI and a changing world order making it more important than ever that young people can navigate shifting cultural sands.
We are a small project, with big ambitions, looking for our early allies. If this sounds like you, we'd love to talk.
Testimonials
Highlights from our evaluation
"This programme has weaved magic."
“Before I started doing the programme I was really quiet and I didn't want to put my hand up... now I’ll put my hand up in the classroom.”
"We've all grown more confident and given more answers in English. And you can also see that some of us have stepped back and listen to what other people have to say before we give an answer.”
“Before this, I used to look up something and take it as fact. Now I question it more and research further online before accepting the knowledge... now I’d be like ‘no’, I’ll actually research it and be more sceptical about whether it’s actually true.”
Sharon Bates, former Executive Director, City Learning Trust, Stoke-on-Trent
Year 11 Pupil, Haywood Academy
Year 11 Pupil, Haywood Academy
Year 11 Pupil, Trentham Academy