Artsmark is back
The website, www.artsmark.org.uk, and online application system went live on 1st September 2011.
The application deadline for Round 12 is: 12th January 2012
If you need any addition help from the Artsmark team at the Arts Council the number to ring is: 0845 300 6200
Hot tips for filling in the form:
- For each question look at the guidance and read the criteria your response will be assessed on. It is a bit ponderous but will be worth it. As in an exam make sure you answer the question and give the information they ask for in the criteria point by point.
One way of doing it is to give an over arching sentence or two at the beginning of each question then answer each of the criteria with a bullet point listing the relevant information.
- If you are not sure whether to go for Artsmark or Artsmark Gold go for the Gold as if you don’t achieve the Gold you will still get the Artsmark but you can’t move up from Artsmark to Artsmark Gold.
Arts Award and Artsmark:
One aspect of the new Artsmark which is not completely clear on the Arts Council website is that running Arts Award is now one of the criteria for achieving Artsmark recognition, so schools & settings must either offer the award or have clear plans to do so.
Currently Arts Award is for young people aged 11+. Arts Award Discover and Arts Award Explore are two new levels for children aged 7 upwards, currently being piloted by Trinity College London.
The new Artsmark application for primary schools encourages engagement with Arts Award Discover and Explore. Arts Council England is aware that the launch of these new levels, planned for 2012, is after the application deadline and so understands that evidencing engagement is not possible. However there is an expectation that schools applying for Artsmark status in round 12, are signed up to the Discover and Explore enews (you can sign up very easily on the website) and plan to run the awards, including booking training, once it is fully launched.
For more information on Arts Award Discover and Arts Award Explore go to:
http://www.artsaward.org.uk/discoverandexplore
Alongside more information on the new awards the page has links to past editions of the ‘Discover and Explore enews’ . The December issue is particularly interesting as it has more information about the Discover and Explore pilots.
Other useful pages on the Arts Award website are:
Link to schools page
http://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/schools
Guidance to working with large groups in schools http://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/?id=2247
Royal Shakespeare Company & Arts Award
http://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/rsc
World Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare Challenge -
http://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/wsf -
Lights, Camera, Parliament! Film Competition.
http://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/pes
Qualification information
http://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/qualifications
For more information please contact: Suzanne Rider, Arts Education Development Officer on 01438 202806 or by email: suzanne.rider@hertscc.gov.uk