A group of cultural organisations in the Chichester area has been working to support and develop a new Arts Award.

These organisations are the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chichester Cathedral, Chichester Festival Theatre, Pallant House Gallery and The Novium. The group has met to undertake training and to share information about what each organisation can best offer, because the skills covered in the awards mean “arts” in a very wide context – including, for example, the heritage crafts and traditional skills on offer at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum.

The Arts Award is a unique, nationally recognised qualification that supports young people exploring the fields of art, culture and heritage. There are five different levels of Arts Award, ranging from an introductory ‘Discover’ level through to an advanced ‘Gold’ level, which means that those considering future work in the sector are able to research, develop arts practice and gain valuable experience.

Each of the local organisations offers different levels of Arts Award and has specific areas of expertise, which correspond to its collection and field of work. The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum is keen to support schools or colleges wishing to undertake an Arts Award; its youth group is taking part in the Arts Award and, from 16-19 March (during Shakespeare Week), participants will undertake an Arts Award as part of the event, which is run in partnership with Chichester Festival Theatre.

The development hubs are taking place across the country for a 12-month duration and are established with support from Artswork, the South East Bridge organisation for Arts Council England. Anyone interested in finding out more can email the Museum’s schools services team: education@wealddown.co.uk

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