Department for Doing Nothing 'Thinking about Nothing Poetically'.
Credit: In Focus Training Ltd
This case study tells the story of how the arts supported a valuable conversation between young people and the Southampton Youth Offending Service between 2016 and 2018. Written and led by Artswork.
This is one of 25 case studies highlighting the value of arts in schools and education settings, curated by arts education researcher Sarah B Davies. The suite of case studies illustrates the research The Arts In Schools: Foundations for the Future, by Pauline Tambling and Sally Bacon, due to be published in 2023.
About the project
The Department for Doing Nothing ran from September 2016 through to Summer 2018, and creatively explored issues of youth crime from the perspective of young people, teachers, youth justice service workers and artists. The project included two national events at Tate Modern as part of Tate Exchange in 2017 and 2018.
Hosted by Southampton Youth Offending Services (SYOS), young people taking part in the programme came from within the SYOS remit as well as from Compass School, a specialist alternative provision that works closely with SYOS, and Southampton Virtual School. Over two years around 15 young people were involved in the programme ranging in age from 13-16.
All the young people who took part were awarded Arts Awards and the work supported Southampton Youth Offending Service in becoming the first Youth Justice Team to gain Gold Artsmark.
The programme was developed and delivered jointly by John Hansard Gallery (as the Tate Associate) and In Focus Education and Development, and co-funded by Artswork and the Hampshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
What worked well
The Department for Doing Nothing creatively explored issues of youth crime from the perspective of young people, teachers, youth offending service workers and artists, in order to extend and enhance wider sector practice. Young people involved engaged in a creative learning programme with In Focus that provided them with a nationally recognized qualification (Arts Award) and opportunities to develop life and work skills.
From the outset, a cohort of 5-7 young people aged 14-18 formed a key part of the consultation process, with ‘collaborators’ exploring the Mass Observation Report on Juvenile Delinquency (1949).
Working alongside professional artists, including Kristianne Drake, Xavier Fiddes and Faye Phillips (In Focus Education and Development), participants explored different arts-based practices for creative expression through the act of ‘Doing Nothing’ and collectively shaped the project based on their interests. Themes included 'Everyone a Delinquent?', ‘Kicking a Tin Around' and 'Delinquent in the Making?’.
The young people involved developed their Arts Award portfolios – taking part in the arts, reviewing arts events, undertaking artist research (including the Tate collection), and sharing skills with peers. Through the hosting of two events at Tate Modern as part of the Tate Exchange programme – Department for Doing Nothing (2017) and Nada Air (2018) – they were also able to share their skills with the general public.
The programme met a number of Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) priorities including:
- Putting victims and witnesses at the heart of policing and the wider criminal justice system – by creatively exploring and stimulating wider discussion about youth crime
- Working together to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the community – with a cohort of young people at risk of offending in partnership with the John Hansard Gallery, In Focus Education and Development, Compass School and Southampton Youth Offending Service as part of Tate Exchange
- Reducing re-offending – by supporting young people at risk through engagement with arts and culture, including the embedding of Arts Award, a nationally recognised qualification
In the medium-term funding was secured to run a regular programme at SYOS, employing artists from a small, local, grassroots organisation who specialize in working with justice involved young people.
In the longer term, the project supported SYOS to become the first Youth Offending Team in England to gain a Gold Artsmark (new version) and the small organisation (In Focus) to gain recognition and grow and develop more independently.
More information can be found at the following links:
- Department for Doing Nothing ‘zine’
- Project overview: Tate Exchange 2017 & 2018 – Department for Doing Nothing and Nada Air. – In Focus Education & Development
What was challenging
There was an initial concern that young people may not only find it challenging working on a high-profile project but also regularly attending and/or facilitating activities during the event. There was also a potential risk with regards to how young people may interact with others who were unfamiliar to them. These concerns were mitigated due to the careful consideration and planning in the lead up to the public events. From the start, young people were referred on to the project via their case/support workers who had assessed their suitability for the project in the context of risk, safeguarding and needs.
There were sometimes issues around attendance and engagement, but by handing over much of the project direction to them meant they felt greater ownership and there was a steady core group throughout both years.
Another problem encountered was that all of the young people were not used to travelling to London via train so frequently. Because of the context of the young people an overnight stay wasn't possible, which made the timings of the days difficult -particularly so when it snowed on the day of the Nada Air event!
Finally, most of the young people’s parents and guardians wanted to be able to visit the programme at Tate Exchange. Due to economic circumstances, they were not able to afford the cost of travelling to visit Tate Modern and the project budget could only accommodate travel costs for the project team (including the young people).
What can others learn?
This project made a significant positive impact on the young people who collaborated, but also the youth justice workers, teachers, artists, arts professionals and key stakeholders involved. Key impact outcomes included:
- Increase in young people’s confidence as a result of working collaboratively in a team and with members of the public at Tate Exchange.
- Skills development of young people leading on aspects of the project and facilitating activities with others.
- Positive pro-social modelling amongst young people, SYOS workers, teachers, artists and arts professionals. This emanated throughout and was noted by visitors at Tate Exchange over both programmes.
- Raised young people’s aspirations both within a learning and career development context.
- Supported the professional development of SYOS workers (as Arts Award Advisors and considering new ways of working), which;
- Developed new ways of working between SYOS workers and teachers with young people, using, arts culture and history as an approach to exploring offending behaviour and restorative justice practices.
- Created positive representations of youth justice and young people at risk and/or who have offended to a wider national audience.
- Completion of Arts Awards from Discover to Bronze with one young person working towards Silver level.
- Supported the SYOS in gaining recognition through their Gold Artsmark Award
- Supported further funding over the recent years from both the OPCC and the local Violence Reduction Unit
