The Arts Education Partnerships DepARTure (Dorset), wave arts education (Bournemouth and Poole) and SPAEDA (Somerset) have worked with Arts Council England South West to deliver an Artsmark development project with schools.

The aim was to progress schools already holding an Artsmark award and enable them to explore ways to take their arts provision forward. The Arts Education Partnerships elected to focus the project on dance as this is frequently the area of an Artsmark audit that schools find the most challenging to meet.

The objective was to partner three schools, from each region, with a professional artist or artists and to enable them to develop new work both individually and together. Those schools with Artsmark or Specialist College Status were prioritised for the purpose of this model project.

The focus was on the working processes and the formation of effective partnerships rather than a specific final performance in dance.  Each region has presented a case-study within this publication. 

Artsmark is a national award scheme managed by Arts Council England that recognises schools with a high level of provision in the arts. The award scheme is open to all schools in England - primary, secondary, special schools and pupil referral units, both maintained and independent.
 
By gaining an Artsmark, a school shows its commitment to the wider development of young people and teachers and to raising the profile of the arts in the school and local community.

All three Arts Education Partnerships offer Artsmark support and advice for schools, please contact us for more information. The Artsmark website also contains comprehensive information for schools thinking of applying for an award, visit www.artsmark.co.uk.

Read more and see images from the three projects in this booklet