Arts Award

• Life skills- through completing an Arts Award young people develop key transferable skills such as increased confidence, leadership and organisational skills.

• Accreditation- Arts Award is a respected and universal qualification.
• Arts Choices- Arts Award encourages young people to explore a range of art forms and ideas.
• Entrepreneurial skills- Arts Award encourages independent learning, communication and networking skills.
• Creativity for life- Arts Award provides a window into the cultural sector helping children and young people to develop an understanding of future employment possibilities in the creative industries.

By completing an Arts Award programme young people are given the opportunity to:

• Reflect on and shape their learning.
• Develop their leadership and peer mentoring skills.
• Work collaboratively.
• Undertake personalised and independent learning.
• Apply their learning.
• Gain accreditation.
• Develop an understanding of portfolio assessment.
• Research and explore diverse sources.
• Learn outside the classroom.
• Develop non-art skills.

We offer a range of support to professionals who work with young people – we can give you more information on Arts Award and how you can become an Adviser or we can help you develop your offer if you are already trained.

We also offer financial support to schools and organisations who are interested in starting Arts Award in their settings or progressing beyond offering one level of Arts Award.

Arts Award advisers are key to the success of Arts Award. An Adviser is a trained adult who supports young people in gaining arts experiences, provides guidance and assesses arts logs and portfolios. Teachers, teaching assistants, museum learning staff, art practitioners, youth workers and volunteers can all train as advisers. For more information about Arts Award training click here.

Your education, arts or cultural setting can become an Arts Award centre for young people to use as a base to complete their award. To become a centre you will need at least one trained Arts Award adviser. Becoming an Arts Award centre is a great way to-

• Strengthen links with young people, schools, arts practitioners and youth groups.
• Gives cause for partnership working.
• Build and promote your offer arts and cultural to young people.
• Kick-starts and enriches new arts programmes.
• Develop your existing work with young people through the Arts Award framework.

To find out more about becoming an Arts Award centre click here.

Why become an Arts Connect Creative Innovation centre?
Creative Innovation Centres will receive-

• Regular opportunities to showcase the creative achievements of their young people through Arts Connect case studies, blogs and Arts Award events.
• One to one support with Arts Award programme planning, delivery, assessment and moderation.
• Support to build partnership and network opportunities for staff and young people.
• Recognition of high quality creative and cultural programme delivery through Arts Connect Creative Innovation Centre status certification and logo.
• Financial support to ensure programme plans and aims can be successfully achieved; this includes Arts Award training, resources, event tickets, workshop/ creative practitioner fees, resources to meet specific access needs, moderation costs and reimbursing schools/organisations for any staff cover that is incurred due to agreed Arts Award programme activities (up to two full days.) This will be agreed before programme delivery begins.

Full details and how to apply here. 

The Arts Award Ignition Fund aims to support young people facing barriers to engagement with arts and cultural opportunities; we want to enable young people to access high quality creative and cultural experiences while achieving Arts Award accreditation. Through our Ignition Fund we will offer support to schools and arts organisations in the West Midlands to embed the Arts Award framework within creative programmes to enhance opportunities for young people’s creative and cultural development.

As part of our Arts Award Ignition Fund we offer Arts Award training for up to two members of staff and a contribution of between £150 and £500 to support Arts Award programmes. We also provide support from an Arts Award expert to ensure that programmes are successfully planned, delivered and completed.

Eligibility:

• Open to schools and arts organisations working with young people (5-25 years) in the West Midlands.
• We are not able to award funding to applicants who are already receiving Arts Connect funding. If you require clarification please contact the lead programme contact at Arts Connect.
• The Ignition Fund cannot be used to pay for staff planning, delivery or assessment time.

Arts Award Ignition Fund Aims: 

• To improve access to arts and cultural opportunities for young people facing barriers to engagement.
• To improve opportunities for young people to develop their creative leadership skills progressing to higher levels of Arts Award.
• To support schools and arts organisations who are embedding Arts Award on a large scale to enhance their arts, cultural or heritage offer for young people.
• To support education settings aiming to deliver Bronze, Silver or Gold Arts Award within their KS3, KS4 or KS5 arts/creative curriculum.
• To support arts and cultural organisations aiming to deliver Gold Arts Award as part of their creative career pathway programmes.

Arts Award Ignition Funding Includes:

• Contribution towards Arts Award delivery and moderation costs-  £150 to £500 (one off payment)
• Arts Award Training for up to two members of staff. Worth up to £300
• Half day support session with an Arts Award expert. Worth £210

Successful applicants to the Arts Award Ignition Fund will provide information and evidence on how their programme/s supports Arts Connect aims above. If you are unsure whether your planned Arts Award programme supports our funding aims please get in touch with Becky Thompson our Arts Award Manager.

Full details of the criteria necessary for applying to our Ignition Fund can be found here.

The application form can be found here.