Get recognition

These are challenging times for arts organisations, but I remain optimistic about the future of arts education. Why? Firstly, due to the stories of practitioners’ enthusiasm and resilience that I hear every day. Secondly, because of the volume of young people taking part in a variety of contexts. By way of example, Arts Award – a nationally recognised qualification run across the country in arts and cultural organisations, schools, colleges and youth clubs – saw 40% growth in participation during 2010/11 on the previous year. I am also encouraged by providers, both in arts-focused and formal settings, who are making a case for arts education and reassured that steps are being taken at a national level that will support it to endure.

Within the arts sector, nearly 6,000 organisations and individuals have signed up to the Cultural Learning Alliance, strengthening the Alliance’s call for all children and young people to have meaningful access to culture. And in its recent review of the impact of arts education, ENYAN demonstrates that ‘Youth Arts Transforms Lives’. Above all, young people want to take part, want to learn and demand excellent delivery.

Within the formal sector, despite changes to the way that schools’ performance will be measured, headteachers are holding their ground on the value of arts education: The stoic are designing alternatives, while the passionate are finding ways to make the arts count outside the curriculum.

Opinion formers are also taking notice. Henley’s recent review of music education (and the forthcoming cultural education review) demonstrates that the structures needed for arts education to flourish are a serious concern to our policy makers.

Furthermore, the DCMS and the Department for Education, along with Ofsted, have endorsed the relaunch of Artsmark – Arts Council England’s (ACE) initiative that recognises schools and other learning environments that have put in place a significant cultural offer, and encourages them to increase the range and quality of their arts provision.

Dame Liz Forgan, Chair of ACE, summarises the importance of involving children and young people in the arts in this way:”It is vital that children engage with the arts early in their lives. The arts contribute to the development and well-being of children and young people. They inspire future audiences and the next generation of artists and arts leaders. Artsmark is an invaluable programme for education settings to benchmark their arts provision and ensure children and young people are engaging with broad, high-quality arts from a young age.”

From September Artsmark will welcome applications from a wider range of organisations, including further education colleges and youth justice settings. So in my opinion, the time is right for arts organisations to assess their arts education offer. Many will already be prioritising their programmes for young people, but the savvy will ensure that whatever they provide has a measurable impact.

There are both financial and audience development benefits. Firstly, quantifying outcomes can help in securing funding through any source, but perhaps in particular from business responding to the government’s philanthropy agenda, which is being prioritised by Arts Council England. Secondly, young people themselves are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd as education changes and the employment sector becomes more demanding.

So I firmly believe that providing accredited programmes will help arts organisations to engage meaningfully and productively with young people and wider communities.

How can arts settings offer qualifications as well as balancing the need to be accessible to a range of young people? Organisations must choose an accreditation that will suit young people they currently work with and meet audience development targets. Arts Award can fit well with many existing programmes run by arts organisations. We are constantly striving to ensure that the award is appealing to all young people; from developing tools to allow them to evidence their progress online and conducting a special project around youth engagement, to piloting two new levels aimed at seven to 11 year olds due to launch in 2012.

Arts Award supports young people’s development in any art form, although some organisations may also want to consider skills-based programmes that are more relevant to their specific remits. Trinity College London manages Arts Award in association with ACE and provides qualifications in dance, drama and music.

In summary, I would urge you to seek an accreditation that suits your work with young people. With Arts Award we acknowledge that organisations looking to accredit their activities for the first time have much to consider and we are developing our support for arts organisations.