Arts Award Gold Pilot

Understanding the barriers & enablers for young people undertaking Arts Award Gold in London

While many London boroughs offer more than one level of Arts Award, due to intermittent funding and the nature of the organisations offering the Award, it is often difficult for young people to find an opportunity to achieve higher levels of Arts Award.

A New Direction's Arts Award Gold pilot programme offered support over the course of one year, comprised of bi-monthly twilight sessions and remote one to one support. The structure was aimed at giving young people as much flexibility on artforms and working hours as possible, and was available to young people across all boroughs from ages 16 and up.

22 young people took part in the pilot - all were aged 16-24 and came from a variety of backgrounds and referral paths. Throughout the programme, the group reported back on a variety of enablers and barriers to participation, which has helped us to shape recommendations for the successful delivery of Arts Award Gold in London.

Download the report below to read our findings and recommendations, along with case studies of the participants.

Download the report