Seven ways to engage with Arts Award this summer...

In England, the summer holidays are almost upon us! This week we hear from arts and cultural organisations across the country as we look at seven ways young people can engage with Arts Award over the summer break.

1. Get creative and digital with holiday clubs at Peshkar

This year, thanks to schemes including the Holiday Activity and Food programme and summer schools, there are loads of opportunities for creative fun in local communities this summer. In Oldham, Trinity Champion Centre Peshkar are working with friends and partners across the town to deliver these holiday clubs. Peshkar will be ‘popping up’ in different locations including libraries and community centres with exciting digital artists ready to make new art with young people. Workshops could include anything from dance, to app design, to fabric art, to photography, to drama.

Peshkar will be providing several access points to Arts Award through the summer programme from a quick fire Discover to kickstarting Silver. They will be using our passport-style Discover portfolios, first created for the Young Digitals Festival in 2019 as well as their Bronze and Silver logbooks. They will also be making a digital option available for young people to document their work using their smart phones through Google Drive and Seesaw. Keep your eyes peeled on Peshkar’s website and Instagram for all the details.

2. Join in online with Sherwood Young Artists in Nottingham

Sherwood Young Artists are a Trinity Champion Centre and are excited to relaunch their online Arts Award Discover course this summer. The visual arts course is accessed through their website, and includes eight pre-recorded video tutorials and downloadable worksheets to help young people complete all parts of the award. The activities are varied, introducing different materials, techniques, and embracing working indoors and outdoors - so perfect for the summer! The tutorials are pre-recorded so there is lots of flexibility for children to complete their award within a timeframe that suits, spread out over the summer holidays or all in one week! Sherwood Young Artists will finish off the summer with a big online exhibition to showcase all the wonderful work that has been completed.

3. Discover dancing in Yorkshire

Trinity Champion Centre Dance United Yorkshire are offering two fantastic dance summer schools this August. The first, working in collaboration with the Valley Project and TFD Centre, will run from Tuesday 10 – Friday 13 August and be held at the TFD Centre, Holme Wood, Bradford. It is aimed at children in Year 6, aged 10-11. Each day will be an opportunity for the young people across the Holme Wood area to take part in dance, graffiti art, outdoor play and of course they will get to complete their Arts Award Discover.

In the lead up to their second course in August, Dance United Yorkshire have been offering primary schools in the area free dance workshops to Year 6 classes to recruit new dancers. The course will run from Monday 23 – Friday 27 August at Kala Sangam Arts Centre, Bradford and is again, for at young people aged 10 -11. Each day will offer creative and fun dance sessions working towards a small sharing and completion of Arts Award Discover.

4. Pick and mix activities in York

This summer All Saints North Street, Explore York Libraries and Archive, York Army Museum and York Art Gallery are working in partnership to support children to complete their Arts Award Discover and join The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge too.

Together they will deliver a range of activities and workshops designed to introduce children to a variety of art forms, encouraging children to learn more about artists and craftspeople. They will also host two Big Share events for participants to share their creative activities. Children can pick and choose activities during July and August to build up their own creative programme. This year they are particularly pleased that York Army Museum is funding the certificates for the children, so there is no cost to participants! Find out more here 

5. Gain a Bronze in Bristol with Knowle West Media Centre

Head to Bristol to join Trinity Champion Centre Knowle West Media Centre for their host of activities this summer. After supporting young people to achieve their Arts Award last February half-term, they are now offering the chance for young people to begin their Bronze Arts Award. It’s an opportunity for young people to actively participate, actively experience and actively create their chosen art. How do you register? Easy! Contact clara@kwmc.org.uk for more information

6. Explore 50 years of Northern Ballet productions in Leeds

After being at home for so long, our Trinity Champion Centre, Northern Ballet are excited to launch their summer course this August in Leeds. Young people can attend a fun-filled week of dance, making friends and letting their creativity flourish! Children aged 7-11 will have the opportunity to achieve their Arts Award Discover and share their spectacular creations with family and friends at the end of the week. The course will take place Monday 23 – Thursday 26 August 2021 and is suitable for all abilities and requires no previous dance experience. For more information or to book a place, visit their website northernballet.com/summeropen  or email              learning@northernballet.com  

7. Discover in a Day with York Theatre Royal

Another of our fantastic Trinity Champion Centres, York Theatre Royal, will be delivering Arts Award Discover in a Day, as part of their Holiday Activity and Food Programme – and will provide a healthy snack and lunch from its kitchen. 15 young people per day will work with York Theatre Royal Staff and in total they aim to support 180 young people aged 7-11 over the summer. Initially the project will be offered to schools and their young people who access free school meals, and then this will be opened up to include all school children if places are available.

Over the course of the day, the young people will cover the three parts of Discover. For Part A, they will consider the different art forms in their life; listening to the radio on the way to the session, dancing in their kitchen at home, watching film/tv actors etc. This will encourage the participants to think about how the art forms connect to their own lives. The young people will then take part in a drama workshop and a craft/arts activity based upon a specific art form or artist, to widen their experience and understanding of the arts.

For Part B, young people will find out about an artist and their work. This will be through a live Zoom chat with member of our Around the World in 80 Days creative team. Artists will talk about their role, what they do and how they got into their job. Finally, for Part C young people will share what they enjoyed from the day, in discussion with a leader or peer in the group at the end of the session.