A big part of Arts Award’s appeal is its flexibility. You can offer it in any setting – from a school to a Scout troop to a ceramics studio – to accredit any arts, media or cultural activity involving children or young people. With five different levels – Discover, Explore, Bronze, Silver and Gold – Arts Award can support anyone 25 and under to connect with and participate in the arts.
Arts Award in schools and colleges
Throughout the UK, all types of school – primary and secondary, state and independent, mainstream and specialised – are offering Arts Award, as are many colleges and universities. For some it’s an enrichment activity, for others part of a balanced and creative curriculum.
Arts Award offers exciting opportunities and progression routes for all students. Four of the five levels are on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, so participants gain a recognised arts qualification along with valuable 21st century skills. And UCAS points are attached to the highest level.
With no set timescales or formats, Arts Award is also suitable for young people in non-mainstream education, such as schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), hospital schools or alternative provision.
Find out how Arts Award works in schools
Arts Award in arts and heritage organisations
If you work in an arts or cultural organisation, or you're an artist or performer by trade, Arts Award is a great way of adding further value to what you do and encouraging young people to get involved. Around the country, theatres, galleries, museums, heritage projects, dance companies and festivals are registered as Arts Award centres, many of them working in partnership with independent professional artists or schools and youth groups.
You can use Arts Award to add a new dimension to your regular activities with young people, strengthen a one-off project or holiday club, or establish a new collaboration with a school or youth group – or another arts organisation. It can also be a route to a recognised qualification for volunteers and interns. Young people can complete Arts Award in technical and support roles – marketing or arts administration, for example – as well as visual and performing arts.
Find out how Arts Award works in arts and heritage organisations
Arts Award in non formal settings
For youth organisations, Arts Award can be the perfect way to engage young people while providing structure and accreditation for arts activities. It's run successfully by local authorities, charities, community groups, uniformed organisations and other national institutions and more.
You don’t have to be an artist to run Arts Award. The flexible framework can be delivered by anyone working with young people who can access arts opportunities. You’ll be supporting them to enjoy the arts, contribute to the local community and develop transferable skills for education and employment, whatever their background and interests.
Find out how Arts Award works in youth organisations