Strategic Commissioning is a national museum and archive education programme funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The programme aims to build the capacity of museums and archives to work with schools, especially those who have not previously used these services within the curriculum; to increase demand for services; and to encourage partnerships that enable all children and young people to participate in museum/archive learning. Elements include:

Learning Links is a strand of the Strategic Commissioning Programme which provides funding for staff from archives or non-Hub museums and schools to undertake short work placements in each other’s organisations.

Creative engagement with the unique collections held by museums, libraries and archives can have a profound impact upon children and young people’s learning. It promotes greater understanding and retention of information, as well as encourages the formation of the whole person through development of wider thinking and inter-personal skills.

Using funding from the Strategic Commissioning prgramme, MLA West Midlands and Creative Partnerships, Birmingham, have united to research the impact of such creative approaches to formal and informal learning within the museum and archive sectors.

Telford Culture Zone : developing the cultural offer

Telford Culture Zone was created in 2005 by MLA West Midlands and Arts Council England. Now entering its fourth year of development, it is a consortium of 16 core schools, 6 leading cultural partners and a host of educators, artists and creative practitioners.

Their Past Your Future (TPYF)

Managed by the MLA Partnership, this 3-year grants programme aims to enable museums, libraries and archives to explore innovative and creative ways of using their collections to increase young people's understanding of the impact and significance of conflict and peace-keeping from World War One to the present through inter-generational activities and community partnership working.

TPYF in the West Midlands: Shropshire Regimental Museum and Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery have been awarded £10,000 for work commencing in early 2008.