Future Creative

Future Creative, on behalf of the Creative Learning South East Consortium (Future Creative, Creative Junction, CP Sussex & Surrey and CP Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire), is delighted to be co-ordinating the Arts Award in the South East from July 2009. Arts Award was developed through a government-funded pilot in 2003-5, and launched in October 2005. The award is intended to encourage participation in the arts across a wide range of young people, to recognise development and achievement, and to help young people explore pathways into the cultural industries. For further information on the Arts Award in the South East, visit www.artsaward.org.uk/southeast

 The Arts Award is a national qualification which supports young people to develop as artists and arts leaders  The award fosters creative, communication and leadership skills and helps to prepare young people for further education and employment  The award is accessible to any young person aged 11-25 and embraces all cultural interests and backgrounds

Arts Award is currently an Arts Council England project which is delivered in partnership with Trinity Guildhall. This means it attracts both financial and promotional support from the Arts Council, yet benefits from Trinity’s expertise in developing, running and maintaining qualifications. Arts Award links with many other initiatives, including Artsmark, BBC Blast, Campaign for Drawing, Creative Partnerships, enyan, engage, Gallery 37 Plus, Summer Arts Colleges, Sing Up, Youth Music and many more. Arts Award works in collaboration with various national bodies, including the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives), the National Youth Agency, and the Youth Justice Board.

Arts Award has developed quickly – there are over 30,000 young people currently date. There are 8,000 advisers and 2,000 centres supporting young people across the country. Our ambition is that Arts Award will be as widely known as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in a few years time, and that every young person will be able to take part in the award locally. The Arts Award delivery team includes ten national posts plus nine Regional Development Co-ordinators, 50 training agencies and 50 moderators. The delivery community is growing all the time, and it is hoped that the award will be run in other UK countries during 2009 and in due course internationally.