We had a really fruitful second round of the Access Fund this year and received an excellent number of applications detailing some really exciting Arts Award projects with young people for whom access and inclusion is an issue.
Big congratulations to the 39 Arts Award centres whose applications were successful in round two - many of whom are already starting to deliver their projects with young people all across the country.
How many young people?!
If all the centres awarded an Access Fund grant this round were to be successful in reaching the amount of young people they plan to work with then we will support:
- 253 Discovers
- 467 Explores
- 475 Bronzes
- 54 Silver.
This amounts to 1,234 young people being supported to achieve their Arts Award over the next 12 months!
Some sample projects from round 2 2016
Here are a few interesting excerpts from applications we are funding - they illustrate why the Access Fund is so important and worthwhile:
Centre 1:
“Our project will allow us to give young people who have not previously had access to high quality arts practice the opportunity to understand how they can turn their existing talent for creativity into a career if they chose. This project represents a new development to our existing Arts Award delivery as it concentrates on expanding their understanding of the creative industry and how Cornwall has led the way for many years and has one of the best Universities for the arts sector. Our project will help raise aspirations of young people by putting them in touch with professional artists, introducing them to higher education opportunities they can aspire to if they work hard.”
Centre 2:
“This project is designed to begin to open up the area of drama and performance to our young people – we expect that this will increase their understanding and enjoyment in being an audience, as well as facilitate their participation in drama, an area which presents many challenges. We hope that it will begin to inform us as a school about the possibilities for drama and performance beyond those we can currently conceive. It will open up new areas of experience, inspiration and achievement in the arts for our young people, with all that that means: benefits in self-image and self-esteem, social inclusion and bonding, communication and self-expression, a breadth and depth of experience and access to the experiences and achievements of the wider world.”
Centre 3:
“The Arts Award project will allow the museum to develop a new pathway for young people who do not have access to places of cultural learning and would not usually be able to visit or participate in arts/cultural based activities. The museum is full of stories and mystery and is a place that needs storytellers and artists to bring it alive. We are hoping to embed a new practice allowing young people, especially for those who have access and inclusion issues, an opportunity to express their discoveries through various drawing, sculpture, painting, costume design, installation work, photography, script writing, poetry, lyrics, drama and more.”
Interested in applying?
If you would like to apply for an Access Fund grant, the next round opens on Monday 30 January 2017 and closes on Friday 3 March.
The Access Fund is open to trained advisers in England working with young people who may struggle to access Arts Award due to their personal circumstances and who are looking to pilot, embed or develop Arts Award with these young people. You can apply for a grant of between £100 and £1,500.
More information can be found on the Arts Award website here.
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