7/28/2019 Arts Award Gold Case Study - Blaze Rachel Adviser

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Case StudyBlaze Arts Award AdviserCompiled by Rachel Hawthorn, May 2013

Rachel Hawthorn

Rachel trained as an Arts Award Adviser as part of

her role as Arts Engagement Officer for Burnley

Borough Council and has successfully delivered

Bronze and Silver Arts Award programmes in

Burnley over the past 3 years. In 2011 Rachel

developed the Crib Creative Arts Award programme,

which is delivered in partnership with Lancashire

County Council based in Burnley Central Librarys

bespoke youth space, The Crib.

Since 2011, Rachel has worked part-time for Blaze alongside her job at Burnley. Blaze is an ambitiousyouth-led cultural programme for Lancashire, Blackpool and the Fylde Coast that is part of WE PLAY, the

North West cultural legacy programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In 2012,

Rachel took the lead on integrating Arts Award into Blazes overall programme. Although Arts Award was

already being delivered as part of Under the Town, led by Blackpool Council Arts Development team, the

rest of the Blaze programme had not yet used Arts Award as a tool for programming or accreditation,

though the intention had been there for a long time. With a grant from Curious Minds, Blaze held two in

house training days in 2012, enabling delivery partners to get qualified up to Gold Arts Award Adviser level.

Rachel then worked with Blaze partners to develop their own Arts Award programmes and integrate them

into their Blaze projects.

Rachel supported three Burnley young people in 2012 in working towards their Gold Arts Award, all of

whom were also involved with Blaze. Hannah Whitlow completed her Award with flying colours, and the

other two will hopefully attain their Gold this year as part of their continued engagement with local projects

and with Blaze.

Rachel says, I love delivering Arts Award, especially at Gold level, as I think its such a great structure that

can be adapted to suit any project. Arts Award gives young people a chance to develop their skills and

initiative further than they otherwise might have been able to do

Rachel has taken the lead in developing Blazes Arts Award delivery plans, which will focus on working

individually with young people on Gold, and integrating Silver into future Festival Producer trainingprogrammes. In Burnley Rachel has secured a new Crib Creative Bronze Arts Award programme for

summer 2013, with funding through the Ribble Rivers Trust Urban Rivers Enhancement Scheme. As part

of Crib Creative, Rachel will support new LCC Arts Award Advisers to deliver their first Bronze programme,

and alongside this she will also be supporting two new Burnley young people through Gold.

www.burnley.gov.uk/arts

www.facebook.com/cribcreative

www.blazeonline.org.uk