ArtWorks Scotland, a new programme to support artists to develop skills for working in participatory settings was announced today, Thursday 09 June 2011, by Creative Scotland, the national development body for the arts, screen and creative industries.

ArtWorks Scotland is part of a UK wide £1.47m initiative supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. The Scottish Pathfinder programme (£600,000) will work with artists across all artforms and has been shaped by Creative Scotland with the support from organisations including the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow School of Arts, the National Theatre of Scotland, the Scottish Book Trust, Engage Scotland, the Scottish Music Centre and the Federation of Scottish Theatre.

ArtWorks Scotland will provide opportunities for artists across all artforms to refresh their skills, network with other practitioners and tap into central information about events and courses available to them.

The initiative will benefit artists at different stages in their careers – from aspiring young artists embarking on their creative training, to experienced practitioners who want a chance to continue their professional development and reflect on their skills and knowledge.

Joan Parr, Portfolio Manager for Education, Learning and Young People at Creative Scotland said;

‘Scotland is full of talented artists across all art forms working in education, community and a range of participatory settings.  However, our recent research into the skills of ‘teaching artists’ found that more than two-thirds learnt their skills for engagement ‘on the job’. This project is a significant step in providing a more coherent approach to training artists as well as a catalyst for a vibrant and active cross artform community of practice, allowing artists to expand their portfolios and share good practice. ’

Creative Scotland envisages that the programme will develop a common language around quality, generate a community of practice, and make course pathways more coherent across the Scottish infrastructure. The programme includes an annual networking event, alongside a series of smaller events, master classes and support for artist led peer-to-peer learning networks.

Many artists have portfolio careers and combine performance or making art with creative practice in education, the community, prisons, or other participatory settings. A recent example of this is Motherwell Colleges Inspiring change project, a programme of high quality arts interventions in five prisons across Scotland.

Régis Cochefert, Head of Arts at Paul Hamilin Foundation, said

‘ArtWorks: Developing Practice in Participatory Settings’ will strengthen an area of work that we at the Paul Hamlyn Foundation have been concerned with for a long time. Participation in the arts has a profound effect on well-being and quality of life, as well as enabling self-expression and a channel for communication for many people from all walks of life. It is essential that we work to support artists to bring the arts to people’s lives’

Maggie Kinloch, Vice Principal, at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, said;

‘RSAMD is Scotland’s national conservatoire and delivers training of vocational artists’ in music, drama, dance, production and film. Many of its graduates become teachers in the formal and informal sectors. As a consequence, and in full recognition of the vital role that artists play in the education of our society, we are committed to making a major contribution to the development of artists as teachers. This ranges from degree‐based work, CPD, socially‐engaged practice and practice‐based development of skills and short course provision.’

Philippa Cochrane, Acting Head of Programme, Scottish Book Trust, said;

‘Scottish Book Trust is the agency for the promotion of reading, writing and literature in Scotland.  A key part of our remit is to offer professional development for writers across the range of opportunities and practice available to them.  We currently offer a mentoring programme for writers who wish to work in education, and we are committed to the importance of providing avenues for writers to develop the skills, knowledge and experience they need to work in the full range of participatory settings.

Our involvement in this proposal enables us to contribute our learning from the delivery of training for teaching artists and to develop our offer and practice in partnership with other art form providers and educators across Scotland.’

Source: Creative Scotland