Written evidence submitted by Andrew Henon

Arts Evidence

Participation arts and access to arts is a complex area, there are countless infinite connections, relational dynamics to consider. Values and benefits are multiple with numerous diverse, impacts on wellbeing and quality of life. This submission of 7 case studies each relates to the terms of reference as stated by the committees remit. Each conceived, designed, planned, delivered and evaluated specifically to tackle social issues or challenges in the delivery of policy with other professionals.

1.              Ways in which taking part in the arts cultural activities can have a positive impact on health, community and education.

• The arts provide the means by which disenfranchised participants can explore and develop a voice
• Participation in the arts builds self awareness, self esteem and empowerment, from simple decision making to development of autonomy to working together, understanding of complex decision making and relationships
• Participation in the arts builds strong social networks, strong associations and lasting memories.
• Participation in the arts provides means by which we gain insights into our selves and others and relationships, whilst creating meaning and purpose.
• The arts provides insights into experiences of others, builds understanding, tolerance, strong affinity, empathy or reactions.
• Participation in the arts builds trust and acceptance through work with others.
• Participation in the arts helps us understand narrative stories, processes of development a sense of moving on and progress through lived experience.

Case study 1

2.              Company of Voices Pilot Project for Cabinet Office of Third Sector. Somerset Film ‘Generations Together’

3.              Intergenerational project to explore perceived issues and challenges of the demographic shift due to two ‘Baby Boom Generational Bell Curves’ from 2010 and perceived ‘Generation Gap’ challenges; A total of nine organisations worked in partnership to deliver a pilot project to explore the challenges and issues of an ageing population and the demographic shift in population occurring from 2010 into the two decades. An evaluation report was submitted to York Consulting in 2010 however in the result of the 2010 election the ‘Cabinet Office of The Third Sector’ Dissolved by the Conservative Led Coalition Government.  

4.              The ‘Bridging the Gap’ Documentary made by young people together with older people shows how perceptions can change, the value of the arts in bringing together communities and breaking down perceived barriers. The documentary was made by young people showing how participation can be participant led if enabled and supported appropriately.

5.              Health values in terms of addressing issues of isolation, crime reduction in bringing together stronger community cohesion, acceptance and understanding. The educational value provides multiple complex outcomes which include community engagement and diversity. Children and young people from a range of contexts were engaged including vulnerable groups together with older people from vulnerable contexts brought together to enable understanding and mutually supportive working relationships to emerge. This creates environments where existing networks can strengthen and new networks can emerge. There are individual, unique and specific outcomes as well as the common shared and generalised.

              See:

‘Bridging the Gap’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9lbYe7HOQ4

‘Making of bridging the gap’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d1lLD0QpVs&feature=player_embedded

6.              Somerset Film enabled and facilitated a range of sub projects these are listed and introduced in the Blog below they include a range of diverse project strands ; Highbridge Moreland Hall Community Café, Engine Room Community, Red Cross Somerset, GLADE Black and Ethnic Minorities Group, Intergeneration’s together, Home Educated and Intergenerational Chard, St Aldhelms Primary School and Mendip Schools Cluster, FROGS Frome Open Spaces, Home Frome, Frome Foyer Homeless Young People, Active Living, Somerset Care Users, and connections with a range of other Somerset Film initiatives including Family Connections and Capture Somerset https://www.communitychroniclers.wordpress.com/about/

7.              Somerset Film was one of nine organisations involved under the umbrella ‘Company of voices’ pilot project each with their own engagement programmes with different social groups these included: The Somerset Art Works project linked here http://somersetartworks.org.uk/what-we-do/projects/previous-projects/company-of-voices-making-matters/ Red cross, Somerset Rural Youth Project, Somerset Film, Next Step, Children and Young peoples partnership Somerset, VISTA, Somerset Racial Equality Council, Somerset Volunteering Network.

8.              The project enabled a sense of strong community involvement and a breaking down of barriers and perceived distance between generations. It built social capital and capacity within communities both geographic and subject orientated. There was a steep learning curve and some really good long term learning sustained. There were diverse learning opportunities shared as well as shared learning of media production and use.

Case study 2

9.              Creativity Works: Arts Council England, Quartet Foundation, Changemakers, B&NES County Council, Radstock, Keynsham & Norton Radstock Town Councils, Peasdown St John Parish Council Funded Work with Children & Young People in relation to Every Child Matters and Youth Matters policies & UN rights of the child.

10.              Creativity works was originally a major project funded by Arts Council England with an organisation formerly known as NESA. It was run by Andrew Henon and was delivered over a single year 2008 – 2009. It brought together a number of previously isolated small projects delivered over three years with multiple small targeted funding streams. It worked with over 30 artists and engaged with over 600 Children young people and families who were at risk, disenfranchised and experienced multiple challenges and issues in their lives, economic, health and wellbeing related. Creativity Works culminated in the publication of the same name in November 2009. With the introduction of the Tomlinson report on transforming youth work and Every Child Matters Creativity Works is a key text in how to engage in widening participation and access whilst delivery policies and developing participatory decision making in policy development. It shows how the work moved from consultation to active participation and empowerment. It shows how to enable children and young people’s voices to be heard and how to enable their empowerment in the decisions that affect their lives through the use of the arts processes and methodologies.

See:

http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/henon/creativityworks.pdf

11.              The publication covers the four outcomes of every child matters, be healthy, Stay Safe, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution and Achieve Economic Wellbeing; whilst achieving key out comes through artist engagement, high quality, relevance, values, partnership working and support of excellence in the field of socially engaged participation and access. The publication and project delivery is also contextualised with the ‘Stern Review’ and Leitch Reports.

12.              The creativity works project and publication covers:

• Creative processes and personal change. With contributions from Andrew Eddleston and Kate Gold, Jayne Lewis and Sonia Hutchison within different contexts; Barnardos Art group Claire Weeks and Kate Gold, Radstock youth centre, Young Carers Service at off the record B&NES and University of Bath Social Policy, In Care Services and Off the Record and ‘Artefects’ Celebration of participant voices and exhibition of their work
• Creativity as a learning process. With contributions from Dr Marie Huxtable with Professor Jack Whitehead, Chris Kemp and Karen Dews within different contexts of APEX B&NES Gifted and Talented service as All Pupils Extending Possibilities, Writhlington Summer School, Rock School and Club Flix DVD, 21st Century Literacy, Creativity & culture Conference including Children Society Report.
• Creativity and processes of community empowerment. With contributions from Michelle Ellis-Keeler, Mark Willcox, Philippa Forsey, Dr Robyn Pound and Mags MaCrae, within different contexts of; Timsbury Youth Club, Project 28 Drugs Alcohol & Substance misuse advisory service, Timeout Youth Centre, Snowhill Community, Big Lunch and Boom Stage events and Art Works Festival Radstock.

13.              On social mobility, health, crime reduction, education, community engagement and diversity; The following pages answer directly to the terms of reference P10 Every Child Matters, P15 NESA Model how to deliver; P16 Barnardos, Creativity can provide an outlet, in a safe space to regain confidence, self esteem and a sense of value in achievement. P24 Creative regeneration young peoples ‘Ketamin Users Group’ P26 Young Carers artist facilitation and teaching the social worker University of Bath; P30 three way working partnerships; P36 In Care Services and P38 ‘Artefects’ exhibition of participants work community engagement; P41 Creativity and Arts Participation as a process of learning

14.              The publication offers many more examples relevant to the terms of reference throughout the publication.

Case study 3

15.              ‘Water Memories Making History’ Heritage Lottery Young Roots funded project. The project ran during 2008 with over 200 children and young people, 6 artists and a steering group of 12 young people. Creativity Works (Formerly NESA) worked in partnership with Bath & North East Somerset Council Heritage Services, Roman Baths and Costume Museum, Radstock Museum and Somerset Rural Life Museum who all enabled access to archives, collections and educational resources.

See:

              http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/henon/watermemoriesmakinghistory.pdf

16.              The project concept was to take four elements

• Geographic where people live and the relationship with water
• The relationship water has with making processes of artefacts and practical objects
• The human activity of making
• The relationship with the past, present and future

17.              Issues and challenges experienced by young people of rural isolation were explored and overcome with regards to the empowerment of young people and enabling them to own, steer and run the project themselves.

18.              The project stands as an example of best practice with partnership working between museums and galleries and young people led community groups. The authority and traditional power dynamics are challenged to empower the young people themselves to take the lead rather than rely on outreach initiatives coming from the institutions.

19.              The project shows how to combine the enabling process of the needs of individuals together with the common and shared needs of others. It combines the unique and specific with the common, shared and generalised. It was an ideal opportunity to create strong social bonds and networks, building confidence, resilience and social capital.

Case Study 4

20.              Our side of The Story’ Funded by the DCFES through the ‘Media Box’ programme in 2008 Facilitated by artists Andrew Henon and Karen Dews, Sonia Hutchison Young Carers Service, Briony Waite Mentoring Plus and Writhlington School. It explored the effects of advertising and media on children and young people as well as enabling children and young people to have a voice. The project used the processes of educating children and young people in the subject of Visual Literacy. The project ran a number of photographic workshops cover digital photography, the creation and use of images. Participants were provided with digital cameras and asked to take them home, to take photographs of things they liked, disliked and were ambivalent about. Participants were then enabled during workshop sessions to share the images that they had taken if they wished to and create sketchbooks with further drawings, sketches and written texts and poetry. The project culminated in the production of the publication ‘Our side of the Story’ edited by the participating children and young people. Their photographic images were also exhibited at Writhlington School.

See:

http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/henon/oursideofthestory.pdf

21.              This process was enabled by professional artists working together with other professional service providers (Young Carers and Social Workers, Mental Health, Drugs Alcohol and Substance Misuse Workers) who gained a deeper understanding of the lives of children and young people, a deeper insight and intelligence information, therefore being enabled to greatly improve how they delivered services to children and young people.

22.              This project moved participant’s perception from being ‘Done to’ and exposed to visual image bombardment from advertising, propaganda, marketing and public relations, towards being empowered through visual literacy and the means of production. Participants gained an understanding of how to create visual images and be empowered through the understandings that can be created. 

23.              The project built trust between the children and young people and the professionals who provide them with services. The project built trust between participants with a sharing of narrative life stories.

24.              The project showed how learning can take place in informal settings better than in formal educational contexts where participants had been excluded or let down by the educational systems lack of differentiated learning approaches or identification of special learning needs or lack of understanding of individual circumstances, challenges, issues and needs.

25.              The project enabled participants to explore the really important issues and challenges that they encountered in their lives rather than being told facts or given information. Here are some of the examples that relate to the issues of crime, mental health and community engagement and diversity.

• An example of this is on P28 & 29 ‘Mathew & Billy’ who were concerned about knife crime and fear of being stabbed. They then set out to create an image contextualised by showing the props that they had used playing out different roles and exploring the issues from different perspectives. The image raises awareness and opened up discussions in workshops where other professionals could then use the information in their own work.
• Another example on P88 & 89 ‘Seb’ A young carer says “Contrast between control and randomness” and “sometimes the best things just happen and are not planned” Seb had issues and challenges around his life being highly controlled and how he tried to control things in his life so that they did not go out of control because for Seb lack off control meant disastrous consequences. This project enabled Seb to see that sometimes the ‘Happy Accident’ or synchronicity had beneficial results.
• On P82 & 83 A young carers says “I don’t believe in stereotypes or labelling” The image taken shows a collection of pots of Buttons and they say “People are like these buttons, different sizes, different colours, different shapes, different” Yet they are still buttons and a means of fastening.

Case study 5

26.              ‘Living Legacies’ The purpose of APEX has been to improve inclusive, gifted and talented educational theory, practice and provision, and so enhance each child and young person’s abilities to learn to live a loving, satisfying, productive and worthwhile life, for themselves and others. When it was known that APEX was to end, a number of people said they were concerned that the relationships and knowledge created during its existence would be lost as a resource and inspiration in the future. This presented me with two questions: ‘What are the legacies of APEX?’ and; ‘How could APEX legacies contribute to improving the educational experience of learners beyond its end?’

27.              This project and subsequent publication with 48 contributors shows how the arts work on transdiciplinary, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary levels, not as a separate subject alone but integrated within all disciplines, however the arts does provide a different perspective, ways of seeing and understanding of the other disciplines, it does provide context for the other disciplines and enables methodological inventiveness and Bricolage to take place.

See:

http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/apex/livinglegacies2012.pdf

28.              On social mobility, health, crime reduction, education, community engagement and diversity Living Legacies provides the narrative stories and contributions made by professional practitioners coming together in separate programmes and areas of work to enable children and young people to be empowered in the decisions they make.

Case study 6

29.              Presence’ University of West of England MA by research project, an Action Research ‘Living Educational Theory’ approach in relationship to the visual arts and tackling the issues of addiction specifically ‘Smoking’ and smoking cessation.

See:

http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/henon/andyhenonmaevalopt.pdf

30.              An example of a ‘Living Educational Theory’ Action Research approach evidence of how the authoritative and didactic external approaches to create change can be turned around to become an empowered person centred and person led commitment to change.

31.              A combined ‘Living Educational Theory’ action research approach enables people to reframe and shift the reference points of challenges and issues, it empowers the practitioner to view their individual place and re-appraise the contexts within which they find themselves. Combined with a socially engaged arts approach it can be life changing for ones self and the participants engaged with. 

32.              On outcomes of social mobility; health, crime reduction, education, community engagement and diversity. Socially engaged arts practice when combined within a multi disciplinary context with other professionals in and a ‘Living Educational Theory action research approach can make significant contributions towards social including; Social mobility, social capital, health, crime reduction, education, community engagement and diversity.

33.              There is now an overwhelming body of research that shows the value of ‘Living Educational Theory’ action research and the contribution that this approach can make to the improvement of the issues and challenges that are presented in the terms of reference of this call for evidence. It is also clear that there is now significant academic evidence that practitioners can make significant contributions to knowledge through their own lived experiences rather than rely merely on external authoritative voices alone.

              See:

http://www.actionresearch.net/ 

Case study 7

34.              Evidence of widening participation, inclusion and access. In 2001 a conference called CASCADE – creativity across science, art, dyslexia, and education was held at the University of Bath. The aim of the conference was to disseminate the outcomes of the Dyslexia strand of the WEBB accessibility project which had been a three year collaborative project funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) under the first strand of disability funding that was aimed at developing access for students with disabilities to Higher Education. The three Universities participating were the Universities of the West of England, Bristol and Bath. The collaborative project disseminated and explored through the event was called the 3 I’s of Dyslexia: Identification, Intervention and Institutional issues, and one of the papers collected here is a comparative study of identification assessment methods for dyslexia by Dr Mary Haslum that resulted from the Project.

35.              CASCADE follows on from the Visual Spatial Ability and Dyslexia conference and publication Central St Martins College of Art & Design

36.              The academic evidence provided through CASCADE shows the value of how different ways of seeing and perceiving the world, different learning needs and the relationship between the arts and science is really important. For example the diverse pathways and choices for those people with dyslexia need to be supported and enabled considering the social and individual suffering and exclusion that could be reduced through true acknowledgement of the potential values offered by people with dyslexia.

See:

http://www.bath.ac.uk/cascade/pdf/cascadefullbook.pdf

February 2018