Summer Arts Colleges are a cornerstone of the YJB and Arts Council England (ACE) strategic partnership. The Summer Arts Colleges are arts-focused projects and have been running since 2005. They provide a structured, 25 hours per week of arts-based activity over the six-week summer holiday, using the PLUS Arts enrichment resources.
The specific objectives of each Summer Arts College are:
- to implement a structured full time arts-based project combining arts enrichment and arts appreciation activities, and to explore possible routes into employment and careers within the arts and creative industries
- to increase educational engagement and facilitate a transition into mainstream education, training and employment after the programme
- to reduce levels of (re)offending among participants during the project and in the following months
- to improve literacy and numeracy skills and to achieve a qualification through the Arts Award (a nationally accredited award which recognises how young people develop artistic, creative, leadership and communication skills).
In the last four years Summer Arts Colleges have run in over 60 YOTs and evidence shows they have a significant impact on young lives.
The outcomes have been outstanding, with:
- a reduction in offending during and after the programme
- a 90% achievement rate at Level 1
- an increase in overall literacy and numeracy scores
- a significant increase in educational engagement following the programme.
In addition to these key outcomes, the summer arts colleges programme can provide the 25 hours of education, training and employment that YOTs must arrange for young people on ISSP 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.
2010 expressions of interest
Click for further information on Summer Arts Colleges and details on how to express your interest in taking part [opens in new window].