Strand 3 - Creative steps: creative and performing arts

Aim

• To raise young people's awareness, aspiration, motivation and confidence in order to widen entry into higher education (HE) - especially in the creative and performing arts.
• To explore the use of the arts as a medium for raising the awareness and aspirations of all target pupils regardless of their subject preferences.
• To enable school and further education staff and art workers to provide informed and enthusiastic guidance and advice on the opportunities and benefits of HE learning including future work potential within the creative and performing arts.
• To maximise partnership working across the sub-region and sectors.

Description

The arts and creative industries are the fastest growing sector of the South West's economy and HE arts provision is significant with two of the three regional specialist arts institutions based within the peninsula sub-region. The creative and performing arts activities strand Creative Steps fulfils two widening participation roles.

The first of these is concerned with raising the awareness and aspirations of target young people who might not otherwise consider progression to HE and future employment within the arts. Most children make things and visualise their ideas with great fluency. They are also natural, enthusiastic performers. Yet, for some reason, this confidence with image-making and performance often becomes damaged during education. Part of the rationale for the project is to show young people the exciting potential of jobs and lifestyles within the creative and performing arts industry if they carry on developing their skills.

The second role is about using creative and performing arts as a way of raising general expectations, levels of confidence and achievement so that young people aspire to a wide range of HE courses - not just those that are arts based.

Strand Three also recognises the fundamental importance of teachers in the widening participation process and aims not only to expand upon their contemporary knowledge of art, design and performing arts in HE, but also to provide the opportunity for them to maximise their own creative potential. In this way it is hoped that teachers will become better informed, and therefore better at promoting arts learning.

Sample Activities

• Taster days for school children at higher and further education institutions.
• Workshops held in schools.
• Workshops held in community settings.
• Continuing professional development sessions for teachers.
• Attendance at parents' evenings and career fairs.

Audiences

• Teachers
• Parents
• Arts organisations
• Community centres
• Job centres
• Connexions and other youth services
• HE and FE staff