What is the difference in delivering Arts Award in a curricular v's an extracurricular setting?

We opened our discussion at the first forum with the question 'How to engage young people in Arts Award?' This lead to a variety of responses and engaging stories about people's experiences. What separated the group however, was where Arts Award was delivered and in what context. The two camps seemed to be:

•  'Curricular' - delivered within a school setting, by teachers, during lesson time or attached to a school project i.e. a school play
•  'Extracurricular'- delivered by an arts organisation or group, lead by artists or practitioners and either long term or short term.

We chatted about the pros and cons of each:

Curricular Pros

• Participants are constant
• Sessions can be planned in advance
• The school/parents will fund the cost of the award
• Adviser's time and training is paid for in the role of teacher
• Additional costs such as materials are absorbed by the school

Curricular Cons

• How does it fit practically for schools?
• The award is an 'attachment' to the existing programme and some pupils don't realise they are doing it!
• All students tend to follow the same route e.g. all have to focus on the same art form, programme of work etc.
• Sparking interest or independent research is potentially difficult

   Extracurricular Pros

• It is easy to get young people interested as they are already on board!
• Young people set their own challenge, or the challenge is set by their interests
• Choosing their own art form means young people are in control
• Developing the award in an individual way and a more organic approach to learning
• Higher success rate in experience, confidence building and leadership

Extracurricular Cons

• Difficult to fund/ make financially viable
• If you charge do only those who can afford it do it?
• Regular access to young people
• Consistency of young people's attendance
• Getting started once you have trained! This was a major point we focused on; newly trained Advisers need the support to start a group, as as an independent facilitator it can seem a scary/unachievable prospect

  
Extra-curricular vs curriculum   

HOW DO YOU ALLOW FREEDOM AND CHOICE WITHIN THE CURRICULUM?
HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THE CLASSROOM?







Solutions

These are some of the solutions advisers came up with:

General

• When working flexibly create 'I-books' for individuals to keep rough work in one place. These can then be pulled apart to make personal portfolios later - Thank you Leanne!
• Recording Kent's Arts Award success stories on this site to give other advisers ideas about innovative ways of delivering. If you are an adviser with such a story, please contact us to tell us about it!

Curricular 

• To open up the 'Leadership' section of both Bronze and Silver it was suggested that Primary and Secondary schools could can link projects, with Secondary groups delivering their projects to Primary groups and inspiring interest in Discover and Explore for primary ages.
• In the Bronze 'Heroes and Heroines' unit and Silver 'find out about artists and arts organisations' schools would benefit from 'real artists' visiting the schools. Some attendees spoke about how this was successful in inspiring young people to take up the award whilst also providing first hand contact for students to inquire about careers within the Arts.
• Schools can find organisations/individuals who deliver certain parts of the award here

Extracurricular 

• Artists can collaborate with services such as the Youth Service to deliver Arts Award
• Venues can become Arts Award Supporters and encourage those undertaking the award to visit. Find out more here 
• When writing funding bids for projects with young people build Arts Award into the costs.
• Promote the work you do and are able to offer by becoming one of our profiled advisers
• Apply for Arts Awards Access Fund

Please feel free to comment below and contribute to this discussion, we want to hear your opinion!