Creative Apprenticeship Scheme

Nine creative individuals will be given the opportunity become ‘apprentices’, to work alongside lead creative professionals in schools across the Black Country.

Creative Apprenticeships is a pilot project which aims to provide opportunities for less experienced professionals (recent graduates, artists, IT specialists, designers, architects, etc) to work alongside experienced creative professionals in Creative Partnerships schools in order to develop their ability to work in this sector.

Creative Partnerships the Black Country initiated the scheme with local organisations aliss and The Public in 2003.

The project will provide an opportunity for nine trainees to work as ‘creative apprentices’ in schools over a period of two terms. The trainees will work alongside a lead artist for two days a week on a range of projects and will also have contact with the school’s ‘Creative Agent’ – from a team of experienced creative professionals who act as facilitators between schools and the cultural and creative sector, and are active catalysts for change. The lead artist and ‘Creative Agent’ will act as mentors to the trainee.

During the second term, the trainee will plan and deliver a project in school, working independently but with the support and advice of the lead artist.

The project will be evaluated as one element in a wide-ranging review of professional development for artists working in learning settings which has been jointly commissioned by Arts Council England, West Midlands, Creative Partnerships the Black Country and aliss (the regional Artists & Learning Information & Support Service).

The placements, operating within educational contexts, gave the apprentices a fantastic opportunity to learn and extend their practice through observing, discussion and eventually leading on projects within the schools. The scheme will be enhanced by support activities focusing on professional aspects of business such as managing budgets and timekeeping, making the apprentices a multi-skilled taskforce.

Creative Partnerships aims to develop a sustainable network of practitioners and creative organisations which can support the delivery of creative learning practice across the Black Country region.

The pilot project will:
*develop the trainee artists’ expertise in working in a school environment to support their continued professional development
*address the acknowledged skills gap in this area and the growing demand for artist to work in schools, through initiatives such as Creative Partnerships and organisations such as aliss and The Public.
*develop the trainee artists’ knowledge of and expertise in creativity in teaching and learning
*contribute to the development of creative approaches to teaching and learning
*provide training in mentoring for lead artists and ‘Creative Agents’
*help to identify emerging creative professionals who live and/or work within the zone, encouraging people to stay in the region
*help to create a sustainable network of artists with different areas of expertise who can contribute to other initiatives in the sub-region

Dependent on the evaluation of the pilot and the experiences of those involved, there could be plans to develop the scheme for a further year as a necessary training scheme for the cultural sector. This will develop the sustainability of the pool of people able to work in partnership with schools across the West Midlands.