What Is Cultural Capital? Practical Ways To Embed It Through Workshops

What is cultural capital? Practical ways to embed it through workshops

Playing an unfamiliar instrument, discovering a new story or taking part in a dance can give children a fresh way to connect with the world around them. These experiences also provide starting points for conversation, creativity and further learning.

For primary schools, workshops can be a practical way to develop cultural capital, especially when the experience connects with what children learn before and afterwards.

What is cultural capital in primary schools?

In education, cultural capital refers to the knowledge and cultural understanding that help children access learning and participate in wider society. This includes the vocabulary and familiarity that make a new book, art form, place or experience easier to understand.

Ofsted’s early years research describes cultural capital in terms of the knowledge children need for future success. It also recognises the different forms of cultural capital children already bring from home. Read Ofsted’s early years research.

Every child brings knowledge, languages, traditions and experiences shaped by their family and community. Recognising and valuing these can help children feel connected to their learning.

Chalmers and Crisfield (2019) highlight the value of building on children’s home languages and cultural experiences to create positive learning environments. Read their article on linguistic and cultural capital.

Cultural workshops can support this approach by giving children opportunities to share familiar experiences, explore new ideas and learn together.

Cultural capital can include local heritage, community stories, contemporary music and popular art forms alongside literature, visual art and performance. Schools can help children see their own backgrounds reflected in learning while encountering people and ideas beyond their community. This broad approach is explored in The Key’s guidance on expanding definitions of cultural capital.

Cultural capital reaches across the curriculum, including the arts, science, history and everyday language.

Why use workshops to develop cultural capital?

Workshops give children opportunities to experience something directly. They can listen to an instrument, try a technique, work alongside a visiting specialist and ask questions as they learn.

At Primary Workshops for Schools, our range includes African Drumming, African Dance, Chinese Dragon Dance, Indian Dance, Indian Drumming and many more. These provide opportunities to explore music and movement through participation. Explore our workshops.

A shared experience also gives teachers something concrete to return to. Children can connect a word, image or idea with something they have heard, seen or tried themselves.

Practical ways to embed cultural capital through workshops

1. Build on children’s own experiences

Children may recognise a musical sound, know a festival story or have seen a similar performance with their family.

Simple prompts can invite these connections:

• “What does this remind you of?”
• “Have you heard an instrument like this before?”
• “What kinds of music or celebrations are important to you?”

Contributions can be voluntary, with room for children to share as much or as little as they wish. Books, photographs and other resources can add further perspectives, so children can explore the variety within a country or community.

Family voices, local history and familiar music can all provide starting points. Resources can also introduce creators from different social backgrounds, including disabled artists and performers.

2. Choose a workshop that opens up further learning

A workshop can introduce a topic, deepen an existing interest or help children discover something unfamiliar. A useful starting point is to consider what you would like them to understand or explore.

For example, African Drumming could support learning about rhythm and ensemble playing as well as West African music. Chinese Dragon Dance could provide a starting point for exploring performance and Chinese New Year celebrations. Indian Dance could introduce a dance style and create opportunities to discuss music, movement and expression.

A small number of clear connections can make the experience easier to build on.

3. Give children a little context

A story, photograph, map or short piece of music can help children connect with the experience before it begins.

You might introduce the name of an instrument, locate a relevant place on a map or explain a few words they will hear during the session. Words such as rhythm, tempo, tradition and performance become more meaningful when children can connect them with an activity.

When exploring a cultural tradition, naming the particular place, community or dance style helps make learning more accurate. An African Drumming workshop, for example, can be a starting point for exploring specific West African musical traditions or celebrations around Black History Month.

4. Carry the experience into everyday lessons

Follow-up activities give children opportunities to use new vocabulary, practise skills and develop their understanding.

Here are a few classroom ideas to pair with workshops:

These activities can connect naturally with music, PE, English, geography and other subjects. For example, writing an explanation of a drumming pattern gives children a reason to use musical vocabulary precisely.

A class might compare the rhythm explored during a workshop with a favourite song, or connect a dance activity with a performance seen in their local community.

5. Make room for questions and reflection

A workshop often sparks questions that are worth exploring afterwards. Children might wonder how an instrument is made, why a performance includes particular props or how a facilitator learned their skills.

A short discussion can help identify what children understood and what they would like to investigate:

• What did you discover?
• Can you explain or demonstrate something you learned?
• What would you like to find out next?

Children can respond through talk, drawing, movement or writing. Revisiting the same questions later can help teachers see what children remember and where further explanation would be useful.

6. Plan participation around your children

Discussing children’s ages, communication needs, mobility and sensory preferences with a workshop provider helps shape an experience they can access.

Useful points to explore include group size, sound levels, visual demonstrations, seated participation and opportunities to observe before joining in.

For EYFS, a short introduction followed by supported exploration might be appropriate. Older children could investigate a technique in greater depth or explain the context of a performance.

Participation can take different forms, with each child supported to engage meaningfully.

7. Revisit the learning across the year

A workshop can become a reference point in later lessons. A rhythm might return in music, a movement sequence in PE or a question about a celebration in a class discussion.

Small reminders help keep those connections available: a vocabulary display, a relevant book in the reading area or a photograph paired with children’s explanations.

Across the school, a varied programme can offer opportunities to encounter different art forms, people and ideas, with later experiences building on earlier learning.

How does this connect with curriculum and enrichment?

The national curriculum in England includes introducing children to essential knowledge and developing an appreciation of human creativity and achievement. Read the national curriculum framework.

Ofsted’s current school inspection toolkit also considers a coherent programme of personal development and purposeful, varied enrichment. Workshops can contribute to that wider provision when they have clear connections with children’s learning. Read the current school inspection toolkit.

Bring new experiences into your school

At Primary Workshops for Schools, we help children explore music, dance and cultural traditions through engaging, interactive workshops.

Whether you are planning a topic, celebrating a festival or developing your enrichment programme, we would love to help you find a workshop to build on.

Explore our workshops or get in touch to discuss your school’s ideas.

Explore our workshops · Contact us