All about Arts Award

Made up of five different levels, an Arts Award offers a unique set of qualifications for anyone up to the age of 25 to grow as an artist or arts leader. Participating in Arts Award young people get to:

• discover the enjoyment of creating and participating in any art form
• develop their creativity and leadership skills
• learn new skills and share them with others
• get to work with or experience working with creative arts professionals
• gain experience and knowledge to progress into further education and employment

The Arts Award website has more information and access to support materials to help you on your Arts Award journey.

Discover

Introductory level award providing the opportunity for children and young people to familiaries themselves with the arts.

Explore

This Entry Level 3 qualification on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) is the perfect stepping stone from the introductory award, Arts Award Discover, to the Level 1 qualification, Bronze Arts Award.

Bronze

To achieve Bronze young people take part in an arts activity they enjoy, go to an arts event, research their arts inspiration and share their skills with others.

Silver

Silver Arts Award has two units – Unit 1: arts practice and Unit 2: arts leadership. Doing Silver involves achieving an arts challenge, reviewing arts events, researching artists and arts organisations, and delivering an arts leadership project with other people.

Gold

Gold Arts Award develops young people’s creativity, communication, planning, teamwork and leadership skills. The award is also recognised on the UCAS Tariff.

No matter what level of Arts Award you would like to participate in Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums can support you. For further information or to discuss your needs please contact the learning team by emailing learning@twmuseums.org.uk

Summer Arts Award Discover at Home is a fantastic chance for you to get an award over the Summer Holidays. We have 100 awards to give away for free. All you need to do is create a record or portfolio of what you are exploring, making and creating during your summer holidays. Be as creative as you want to be: draw pictures, write stuff, use photos, print stuff from the internet, cut up old magazines. You don’t need to print anything off but we’ve created some ideas for you to use as inspiration. 

Arts Award Discover is split into three sections

Part A is all about taking part in arts and cultural activities to widen understanding and experience of the arts.

Part B is all about finding out. This gives young people the opportunity to find out about artists and their work, using this to inspire their own work.

Part C is all about sharing what they have been learning and doing. Sharing can take place at home with a friend or family member.

By creating their own portfolio and using the additional information below as guidance we will be able to award you the Arts Award Discover Certificate.

Who is it for?

Discover level is aimed at children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old. There are higher levels more suited to older children, such as Explore, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The learning staff at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums support all levels of Arts Award.

Creating your portfolio

To create your portfolio all you need is paper, envelopes, pens, pencils, glue, magazines, photos and your imagination.

Start by creating a front cover for your portfolio. Think about what style you want your portfolio to have. You can draw, collage, print and add images. Or you can print out our ready-made front cover. Make sure you include your name, age, date of birth, date started and date completed.

Next add some pages.

Part A – Discover the Arts

To complete Part A tell us about some of your favourite art forms.

Art is all around us and there are lots of different art forms you can experience. Music, dance, film, visual art, making, graphics, manga, comic books, 3D art, sculpture, writing, poetry. What do you enjoy the most?

Add in any artwork you have created at home. Don’t forget to add a title to your artwork.

You can download this resource to mark out any of our nine venues you have visited before.

Part B – Find Out about Art and Culture

This is an opportunity for you to find out about art and culture which inspires you. We’ve included links to our family online activities from our different museums and art galleries. From dinosaurs to Romans and art and craft there is something for you to find out more about.

In your portfolio tell us about what you have discovered. You can draw, write or add photos to show us who is your favourite artist and tell us what you like about their work.

Ideas and Inspiration

Search through our art collections 

Explore thousands of paintings at Art UK online

Read Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums blogs

Laing Art Gallery’s young artist Grace has made a series of short video demos you can try at home, inspired by some of the Laing’s art collections. Click here watch Grace demo some techniques. Which is your favourite? Can you try it out at home? Or pick your favourite artwork and colour it in. Why do you like that painting?

Hatton Gallery have created a range of resources for you to explore art at home. Explore colour mixing, jump into a painting or try a fun describe and draw game with a member of your household to draw it for you.

While the Great North Museum: Hancock is closed they are inviting you to take a virtual tour of the museum. You can also check out their films. The Great North Museum: Hancock team are planning a storytelling week on 27 July which will feature three stories and the National Literacy Trust, plus a storytelling drawing competition based around museum objects related to those stories. Check them out on their Facebook page.  

South Shields Museum and Art Gallery have created a Take one Treasure activity. Take One Treasure is a series of activities that are perfect for families wanting to participate in the Discover Arts Awards offer. Inspired by the South Shields Museum and Art Gallery collection, the activities are in three parts to be completed at the learner’s own pace. New objects are added regularly, so check back often, browse and chose, and do what inspires you!

Travel back in time to Roman Britain with these activities from Segedunum and Arbeia Roman Fort. Create objects that the Romans would have used, play games, dress up, or even become an archaeologist. You’ll find information for each activity is on screen, but is also in a PDF file that you can download, print out and take with you to your making space. 

The Shipley Art Gallery has created a series of art challenges. Pick one to do at home. Create a self-portrait, draw a room in your house or sketch some objects you have on a table for a still life.

Make your own discoveries with Discovery Museum’s resources for home and school. Explore toys, transport, illusion, fashion, ships and shipbuilding.

Part C – Share your work

To complete your Arts Award you must share your work with others, this can be a friend or a grown up. You may wish to create a short video, photograph or write about how you have shared your work with somebody from your household. Tell us what your family and friends have said about your artwork.

Finally tell us what you have enjoyed the most about what you have created and discovered.

Checklist

Once you have completed your award check you have:

• Created a front cover – name, date of birth,
• Part A – Discovered more about art forms
• Part B – Found out about art and culture
• Part C – Shared your work with friends and family

You have completed all parts WELL DONE! Don’t forget to book your FREE moderation and email us at learning@laingartgallery.org.uk

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums is a registered Arts Award Centre. Our learning teams across our venues are trained Arts Award Advisers, meaning they are able to deliver whole Arts Award from introduction to moderation or provide tailored support for other organisations and schools already delivering their own Arts Award.

If you would like to discuss Arts Award with a member of the learning team please contact us by emailing learning@twmuseums.org.uk