Running a Summer Arts College
In 2010, a third of all youth offending teams (YOTs) in England and Wales participated in a Summer Arts College which works to a standard model, delivering high quality arts provision to some of the most challenged and challenging young people nationally.
The young people who take part in a Summer Arts College are aged 14-19 and are at high risk of reoffending. They may have difficulties with literacy and numeracy, and have experienced detachment from education, training and employment.
The evaluation findings over three consecutive years demonstrate that a statistically significant number of young people move back into mainstream education, training or employment after completion of the programme. More than 90 per cent also achieve the Arts Award, a nationally recognised accreditation (for many the first accreditation they have received). Over two-thirds of young people increase their literacy and numeracy levels, while offending rates reduce significantly both during and after the programme.
In addition to these key outcomes, the Summer Arts Colleges can provide the 25 hours of education, training and employment that YOTs must arrange for young people on ISS or a DTO at a time of year when education or training provision, such as schools or colleges, may be closed. They also provide YOTs with the time to arrange placements for young people starting in September.
In running a Summer Arts College YOTs are expected to:
- offer a structured educational programme during the summer holiday period, running for five taught hours each day for five days a week
- appoint a dedicated full-time project manager to be responsible for planning, implementation and running of the Summer Arts College
- commission high quality arts practitioners to plan and deliver a three- or six-week arts programme which integrates the Arts Awards
- commission a literacy and numeracy practitioner to work alongside the art practitioners in embedding literacy and numeracy and supporting the young people on an individual basis to help improve their literacy and numeracy ability
- secure an appropriate mainstream educational or community venue
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- identify a group of ten young people
- record and provide data for monitoring and evaluation.
Watch the clips of practitioners talking after their experiences of the Summer Arts College, explaining what they have got out of it
YOTs which are selected to run a Summer Arts College will receive:
- funding for the programme
- a proven project model
- a training programme for all staff
- arts enrichment resources
- a directory of artists and arts organisations that have significant experience and have undertaken relevant training
- support from a dedicated programme manager.
Watch this footage where an arts practitioner talks about how she embedded literacy and numeracy within a Summer Arts College