Whether you are a teacher in a hospital school, an artist or arts organisation working in a hospital or health setting, or an arts therapist, Arts Award provides a flexible framework for structuring and accrediting your work. Young people enjoy being identified as artists, rather than the focus being on their medical condition, and the certificate or qualification is something positive to share with friends, family and school. Read on for how Arts Award can empower young creatives at your hospital or health setting, some insights from Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and funding opportunities for delivering Arts Award.
Empowering young creatives
Children who spend a long time in hospital can sometimes feel they are missing out, and Arts Award can give them a sense of purpose, and that their time spent in hospital has been productive. Arts Award’s time flexibility means that it can be delivered quickly in one or two week admissions, or can be something that young people who have regular, recurrent admissions can pick up where they left off over extended periods of time, or as an outreach programme for children who are being cared for at home. Taking part in and achieving Arts Award can increase confidence and wellbeing of children and young people in health settings, and can inspire others around them.
Suzie Tidy, Teacher, Chelsea Community Hospital School: 'Staff in our settings are well aware of the therapeutic benefits of art and how it can be one of the only things a child wants to do if they feel unwell. As such, we do offer to pupils a range of arts activities but we have found that the structure of Arts Award enables students to work towards a goal, and to feel that they have achieved something.'
Chelsea Community Hospital School continues to deliver Arts Award in a variety of ways, from bedside work involving parents, carers and siblings to regular Arts Award Weeks linking with arts and cultural partners.
EOTAS (Education Other than at School) have also produced a resource on delivering Arts Award with young people who are out of mainstream education due to illness.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust tested an approach to delivering Arts Award in therapeutic settings. Therapists found the process of taking a young person through Arts Award deepened their relationship, or therapeutic alliance, with the young person and their knowledge of the young person’s wider life. In some cases, observing the young person’s response to the Arts Award elements provided greater insight into their difficulties. The project has resulted in a set of Guidelines for Arts Award in therapeutic settings.
Art therapist, Sussex: 'It has enabled the young person to transfer some of the therapeutic benefits of the work outside of the arts therapy session in developing [their] ability to work at home.'
Art therapist: Seeing the young person I work with smile and actually be proud of what they have achieved is priceless!’
Arts Award Access Fund
We’d also recommend applying for the Arts Award Access Fund if you are likely to require funding for your work. We provide grants of between £100-£1500 to selected Arts Award centres working on Arts Award projects with young people who face barriers to access and inclusion. We welcome applications from any registered Arts Award centres in the UK and the money can be used to fund moderation fees, arts logs and even translators and specialist equipment. An extensive list can be viewed on the Arts Award website. Applications for the next round open in early September 2023 (date TBC) with a closing date of early October 2023 (date TBC).
We hope this blog helps you with delivering Arts Award to young people in hospitals and health settings – if you need further support you can reach out to us directly at ArtsAward.Enquiries@trinitycollege.com
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