Bronze Arts Award: Trips and Cultural Visits - finding the right experience
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. One of the most difficult and daunting elements of planning a visit is simply finding the right experience to fit the project, and ensuring the visit clearly links with the overall project vision.
There are a number of resources and information points available to support you and the young people involved.
- A good place to start is by contacting music venues/organisations with the Arts Award Welcome kite mark as it highlights venues that understand the Arts Award. Chances are that these organisations will also have a clear understanding of young people in challenging circumstances. Arts Award Welcome organisations may also offer “added value” elements (such as a behind-the-scenes tour) that can enhance the visit by making it more personalised to the young people involved.
- Check your local authority website for local events and festivals happening in your area. Many local authority civic venues also deliver or host music programmes – find out which organisations are involved in running these, and try making contact with them to identify potential visit options.
- Contacting independent promoters and commercial venues in your area is always helpful in seeking music visit opportunities. Most venues will have a website detailing a programme of events months in advance.
- Look at venues which have an Education/or Learning and Participation department - you may be more likely to negotiate additional activity such as a guided tour prior to the performance, interviews with artists or workshops.
- Investigate links and contacts already available through music leaders or practitioners involved in delivering the project.
- Depending on your budget admission to events can be an issue, however many music or arts venues offer discounts for young people under 25 or student discounts. Contact the venue in advance, and let them know what you are doing – as you may be able to negotiate a reduced entry rate.
- In addition to the Arts Award Welcome venues, here on the Youth Music Network, music venues and organisations from across the country regularly upload upcoming events and opportunities.