The importance of Arts Award Supporters

Arts Award Supporter is a free scheme for arts organisations to reach young people, teachers and Arts Award advisers. Arts Award Associate Jen Farrant explains why this matters and how the scheme works.

One of Arts Award’s key principles is that young people should encounter artists and creative people, through watching performances, backstage tours, workshops and talks which relate to the arts and cultural world. For instance, as part of Silver and Gold Arts Award young people need to get directly involved by undertaking work experience, volunteering and conducting active research into arts and cultural organisations.

"The best thing about Arts Award was getting to work with real professionals. They were so inspiring and helped me realise that I could be a film-maker too." Arts Award Gold achiever

With many schools reducing their arts provision, it’s even more important that arts and cultural organisations reach out to offer their expertise and let teachers and young people know how they can get involved with Arts Award: this is where Arts Award Supporter comes in.

How can your organisation reach young people and Arts Award advisers?

Arts Award Supporter is designed to make this easy. It’s a free register of arts and cultural organisations committed to supporting young people to engage with the arts world.

Supporters are useful in enabling young people to get the final part of their Arts Award and display their artwork in galleries. Professionals coming into school helps the children engage, and the staff learn a lot too. Teacher, SEN School

Since 2012, over 1,600 organisations and artists have registered to offer activities which young people can take part in. Supporters do not have to deliver Arts Award in full. As long as your organisation offers one or more relevant activity then you can be a Supporter.

If you are already an Arts Award centre, think about also signing up as a Supporter – this will attract more young people to your organisation.

What can you offer?

Firstly, you don’t have to provide anything free of charge! However, you may choose to offer discounts for anyone using your activity as part of their Arts Award.

All Arts Award levels require young people to take part in arts activity such as a half-day workshop or an extended project developing their skills. You could offer your taster sessions, regular youth group, holiday workshops, or year-long development programme.

Arts Award welcomes activities across all art forms, including curating; journalism; backstage/technical work; storytelling, craft; photography/videography as well as music, performance and visual arts.

‘Meet the artist’ sessions and ‘behind the scenes’ tours are always popular offers. Silver and Gold Arts Award require the young person to volunteer and undertake work experience. Young people working towards their Silver or Gold Arts Award tend to be highly driven and thrive on a challenge, so get them involved in your organisation!

"Being a Supporter has helped us to generate community awareness of, and interest in, a variety of art forms and a commitment to Arts Award through students and their families." Arts Award Supporter

Key to success

• Make it easy for people to understand what your Supporter offer is. Your organisation will appear on the Arts Award Supporter map
• Develop a page on your website which explains your offer and carries the Supporter logo
• Check out our training videos on creating a strong offer and how to make your webpage easy to understand
• Work with your marketing team to incorporate your Supporter offer into existing marketing materials. Arts Award advisers are looking for activities for young people to take part in so tap into that by displaying the Supporter logo

Promoting your offer

As well as registering as an Arts Award Supporter, you can sign up on Arts Award on Voice and share details of any upcoming activity you have planned. Voice speaks directly to young people, so take the time to comment and encourage young people to blog there too!

Register as an Arts Award Supporter now!

Sign up here – you need to provide public contact information and a link to your website which clearly explains your offer. This is where you can also display the Supporter logo.

Existing Supporters NEED TO RE-REGISTER. From 1 September any organisations that haven’t re-registered will have their accounts deleted. In future, we will no longer describe your offer on the Supporter map, but link directly to your own Supporter webpage. We need you to re-register in order to continue your Supporter status.

Need help getting going? There is plenty of support and guidance including case studies, logos, marketing tips and training videos.

If you have any questions about Arts Award Supporter, please email artsawardenquiries@trinitycollege.co.uk