by Author Claire Sivier

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Bronze Arts Award: Trips and Cultural Visits - preparation

This resource gives tips for organisations leading young people through the Bronze Arts Award, but it will be useful to anyone arranging arts trips and cultural visits for groups of children and young people. There are many considerations when organising a trip; planning and preparation are the most integral to ensure your visit is a success.

  • It is important to think about what stage in the delivery is most appropriate to carry out a visit.  For Summer Arts College participants, consider group dynamics, or an individual’s confidence levels, and young people’s existing knowledge.  Unitas, who deliver the Summer Arts College programme which works with Young Offenders, cautions in their guidelines for trips and cultural Visits: “Take care in how you timetable events, and avoid scheduling trips in the first week that the groups may find challenging; begin with outings that they will find more accessible and build their confidence as a group.”
  • Facilitating a 'trip planning session' can ensure the young people are happier with the final choice by being included in the decision making process. However, it is of course necessary to be very clear with the group about the criteria for the trip (price, age boundaries, venues, distance etc).    (Leanne Sutton, Director of Development & Education, Send Project, Nottingham)
  • Prepare the venue for your visit and try to arrange the visit with a member of staff who has experience/understanding of the Arts Award or specialises in education or community groups. Making contact before the visit will help in ensuring the trip runs as smoothly as possible and young people get the most out of the experience
  • It is important that the young people are challenged to go into new places but they need to be prepared and aware of expectations in terms of behaviour, as well as what they are going to be doing. Anything to do with using equipment etc needs to be carefully planned.                                                      (Lorna Digweed, Hampshire County Council)
  • If you are supporting a large group - think about their development, dynamics and logistics. It may be useful to split the group and organise parallel trips - this also can have an advantage of increasing variety and giving the young people focussed attention. 
  • Once the visit is complete, it is important for the young people and you to reflect on the experience together. Encourage the young people to think about what they have learned from the experience, positive/and or negative. Try to encourage them to discuss the trip, or note immediate comments on the way back from the event, to maintain momentum and interest
  • Ensure you and the young people clearly record all evidence, as this will contribute to the Bronze Arts Award Portfolio and can support the other areas of work which contribute to the final award.