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ACE’s big money Arts Awards youth project will run from April

Published Tuesday 18 October 2005 at 12:00 by Nuala Calvi

Culture minister David Lammy has announced that Arts Council England’s £1 million youth Arts Awards scheme will be up and running nationally by next April and will involve thousands of young people by 2008.

Nine regional agencies have been set up to provide training advisors for schools, youth services, arts organisations and local authorities. These advisors will run the project, which enables youngsters between 13 and 25 to gain accreditation for creating their own arts and leadership projects. It is expected to have 10,000 participants over the next three years.

The scheme has also won sponsorship from Canon UK Ltd, which will donate £75,000 in cash and £70,000 in kind each year for the next three years, on top of the £700,000 already committed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and £300,000 annually from the arts council.

Speaking at the project’s launch at the Royal Opera House, which featured more than 60 young artists, Lammy said: “I believe this is a pivotal moment. The young people here today and the artwork they are showcasing - through dance, music, painting, poetry - are testament to the immense talent and skills they possess and the creative vision of those who contributed to developing the award initially.

“We must recognise that young people are the primary source of the renewal and vitality of our culture. What they bring - often unformed, rough, ‘in your face’ - will enrich and grow our cultural life. Yet while we continue to present our culture to them as something finished, perfect, with no need for their input, then we stifle that creativity. Instead, we must learn to respect what they bring to what we already have and celebrate their contribution.”

The scheme began last year in 14 pilot areas. It offers young people the chance to gain an award outside formal education that is accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority by developing their own work. The leadership aspect parallels other well-established awards such as the Duke of Edinburgh and involves participants sharing their skills with other young people or running projects which contribute to their local community.

Diana Walton, head of the award, said: “It’s a chance for young people to get genuine recognition for the arts activities they are committed to. You can’t do a GCSE in breakdancing but you can get an accredited award for it through the scheme which will be recognised by universities. It means young people can get involved in getting accreditation for something even if they’re not so engaged by what’s on offer at school or college.”

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