As part of our celebrations to mark 20 years of Arts Award, Jodie Marshall, Managing Director of A Mind Apart in Sheffield, shares how Arts Award is part of their everyday work, and has helped their young people develop confidence, belief in their abilities and opened doorways to further arts pathways.
A Mind Apart is a performing arts company dedicated to making the arts accessible to everyone. We run inclusive classes, creative therapy, alternative education and educational programmes for children, young people and adults. Many of those we support have learning needs, are neurodivergent or simply want a place to express themselves. Our mission is to provide a space where everyone can shine, grow in confidence and explore their creativity in a welcoming community.
Why we deliver Arts Award
For us at A Mind Apart, Arts Award has always been about making sure every young person gets a chance to be recognised for their creativity. Sixteen years ago, we saw that so many of the young people we worked with had talents and ideas that did not always fit into mainstream boxes. We wanted something that would celebrate their journeys, not just their outcomes. Arts Award gave us a way to do that. It is flexible, supportive and values every step of progress. For our students, that recognition has meant a lot, especially for those who might not have been celebrated elsewhere.
Our journey and levels offered
We started with Bronze Arts Award and quickly saw the difference it made. Over time, we added Silver and Gold, so students could keep growing with us. Some joined us for their first ever drama class and ended up leading their own creative projects. Watching that progression has been one of the most rewarding parts of our journey. It is not just about ticking boxes, it is about nurturing real, lasting confidence and independence.
Our approach
Our sessions are shaped by our young people’s interests. Drama, dance, music and creative writing are all part of the mix. We are always listening to what excites them and bringing that into our projects. Inclusion is at the heart of what we do.
Many of our students have learning needs, autism or ADHD and are neurodivergent, so we adapt every session to make sure everyone feels welcome and able to take part. We use a participant-led approach, which means the young people help decide what we create and how we share it. That keeps things fresh, relevant and meaningful for everyone.
Impact on young people
The biggest impact we see is in confidence. Students who were once quiet or unsure find their voice, try new things and start to believe in themselves. Arts Award gives them something concrete to work towards and celebrate. Some of our students have gone on to study creative subjects at college or university. Others have found new friendships, skills and a sense of achievement. Last year, one student’s work on her Arts Award led to her winning a local Youth Award, a proud moment for her, her family and us as a team.
Impact on our organisation
One of the key reasons A Mind Apart was set up was to make performing arts accessible to everyone, whilst also providing work for freelancers and creatives in the north of the country. Over the years this has developed and supporting young people who otherwise would not have the opportunity to get into the arts world has become a key part of what we do.
Arts Award supports this and means that we can help students gain a qualification that not only supports them to get onto a creative college course, but holds UCAS points for university (Gold Arts Award). Through this we have seen many students get onto courses and get into drama schools where Arts Award has played an important role in their applications and acceptance onto courses.
In addition to this, over the last two years we have become a Trinity Champion Centre, which has been important to us in demonstrating the quality we are delivering in the qualifications, but also recognition of arts training at a time when key institutions across the country are cutting their art and creative courses.
Sustaining our delivery
Keeping our delivery of Arts Award sustainable comes down to making it part of our everyday work. We do not see it as an extra, we build it into our regular weekly session timetable and projects. That means every student has the chance to take part, whatever their starting point.
We are always adapting our approach to suit each group, whether that is changing the way we gather evidence, using different creative mediums or finding new ways to celebrate achievements. That flexibility is what keeps it working year after year, and we just love it as a qualification for our students and for our organisation.
Find out more
If you would like to see more of what we do or get in touch, you can find us at amindapart.org.uk. We are always happy to chat about Arts Award, creative projects or how we can work together to help more young people shine.