Arts and education

Arts Awards support young people who want to deepen their engagement with the arts, build creative and leadership skills, and to achieve a national qualification.

Through Arts Award (opens new window) at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, young people aged 11-25 can explore any of the art forms including performing arts, visual arts, literature, media and multimedia. The award builds confidence, helps young people to enjoy cultural activities, and prepares them for further education or employment.

Wiltshire library service is an Arts Award Supporter and provides activities and resources to support young people on their award journey.

Arts Council England aims to make sure that every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts. Artsmark is the national programme that enables schools, further education colleges and youth justice settings to evaluate, celebrate and strengthen a quality arts offer in order to raise achievement and aspirations.

Artsmark aims to make sure that children and young people are able to develop their artistic capabilities, experience and engage with a range of art forms. It is developed in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department of Education and Ofsted.

Visit the Artsmark website (opens new window) for more information about the programme.

 Cultural Learning Alliance (opens new window) - champions a right to art and culture for every child

National Society for Education in Art and Design (opens new window)

Open College of the Arts (opens new window)

Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) (opens new window) - Real Ideas Agency and Arts Council England's (opens new window) Arts Council England's Bridge organisation (opens new window) for the South West.

The Wiltshire and Swindon Education Partnership (W&SCEP) aims to improve educational, cultural and social outcomes for children and young people through broadening effective interaction between cultural organisations (including arts, heritage and libraries) and schools, in places where it is most needed. It is a response to the Cultural Education Challenge (opens new window) set by Arts Council England.

When the Cultural Education Challenge was launched, hundreds of organisations and individuals from the region gathered to develop a plan. In 2017 the executive partners emerged to deliver the plan. These are:

• Create Studios Swindon (opens new window) based in Swindon, a digital and media organisation
• Pound Arts Trust (opens new window) based in Corsham, a multi-art form organisation
• Prime Theatre (opens new window) based in Swindon, theatre for and by young people
• Wiltshire Creative (opens new window) based in Salisbury, a pan arts organisation bringing together Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury International Arts Festival and Salisbury Arts Centre
• Wiltshire Music Centre (opens new window) based in Bradford on Avon, a music venue
• Wiltshire Music Connect (opens new window) based in Bradford on Avon, the music hub for Wiltshire
• Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre (opens new window) based in Chippenham, an heritage organisation

Six school leaders, representing both primary and secondary levels, have been recruited as Cultural Champions to develop this relationship. As key stakeholders in the partnership they are advising on and supporting solutions to the cultural provision challenges that school face. They are actively encouraging innovation and collaboration between cultural providers and schools and participating in developing the following outcomes:

• More schools engaging in cultural activity
• Legacy of skills, understanding and capacity within schools to continue engagement in longer term; and capacity within cultural organisations to meet schools and pupils needs
• Schools enabled to make more informed choices about which cultural providers to engage with and on what basis
• Improved understanding and interaction between providers and schools

During 2019 and 2020, the W&SCEP will develop a number of initiatives to enhance cultural education. It will engage with more Cultural Champions with special areas of interest and will provide opportunities for schools to engage in innovative education activity that promotes health and wellbeing. Cultural education providers will take part in training that will encourage arts award engagement, support inclusion and work more effectively with SEN/D and deaf children and young people. Additional resources and professional development opportunities for all those involved in cultural education will be developed including case studies and conferences. W&SCEP will be exploring the longer term impact as a central hub for cultural education and its sustainability through a partnership membership model.

Register for mailing list (opens new window)

Contact: swindonandwiltshirecep@gmail.com (opens new window).

• Wiltshire council schools and colleges

Part of Wiltshire council's commissioning, performance and school effectiveness team, Wiltshire Music Connect (opens new window), our music education hub has a strategic overview of provision and providers across the county and provides support and resources to those who deliver music services. It can also connect anyone wanting to learn to service providers all across Wiltshire (opens new window), including former music service tutors now working on a freelance basis.

Wiltshire Music Connect also provides training & support and subsidies for young musicians.

This charter was developed by Wiltshire Youth Arts Partnership which facilitated youth arts opportunities from approximately 2000 to 2017. The Youth Arts Charter PDF can be found in the downloads section.