ACT NOW: Creative Youth CIC is an Arts Award centre. Arts Award’s unique qualifications support children and young people to develop as artists and arts leaders. The programme develops skills for success in 21st century life including creativity, leadership, reflective thinking and communication skills. Young people also develop knowledge and understanding of their chosen art forms by completing various levels of Arts Award: Bronze/Silver/Gold Arts Award and for younger years can start out with Arts Award Discover/Explore. Arts Award is open to anyone aged 25 and under, and embraces all interests and backgrounds. Through Arts Award young people learn to work independently, helping them to prepare for further education and employment.
Below you will find the resources for each level of Arts Awards, useful links and more information about why Arts Award might be a good choice for you.
Below you will find the resources for each level of Arts Awards, useful links and more information about why Arts Award might be a good choice for you.
- What is Arts Award
- Arts Award Levels
- Arts Award Costs
- Arts Award Supporting Future Careers
- Arts Award Resources
- Arts Award Portfolio Top Tips
What is Arts AwardArts Award takes children and young people on a creative journey, exploring the arts world, discovering their potential as artists, developing leadership skills – and gaining a recognised qualification along the way. Open to anyone aged 25 or under, this unique set of arts qualifications builds skills essential for success in the 21st century: Creativity and communication, along with problem-solving, reflective-thinking and confidence.
Young people can achieve Arts Award in any art form, from music to mime, poetry to pottery, dance to drumming. Through the five levels – Discover, Explore, Bronze, Silver and Gold. |
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One of the unique things about Arts Award is that young people can use any format – written, visual, audio, digital, 3D (or a mixture) – to create their portfolio or 'arts log' demonstrating what they've learned. We've seen videos, blogs, PowerPoint slideshows, photo-stories, podcasts, websites and more. What's important is that each one clearly shows evidence of the young person's achievements and progress.
Arts Award is an exciting range of national qualifications, available at five levels and open to anyone aged up to 25. It nurtures young people's individual interests in arts and culture, building their confidence while equipping them with life skills for education and future employment. Arts Award evaluates the knowledge, understanding, creativity, communication, planning and review skills that young people develop through involvement in the arts, rather than assessing a specific artform skill level.
A key aspect of Arts Award's appeal is its flexibility. It recognises all art forms, from fashion to poetry, rapping to dance, sculpture to film, as well as arts administration and technical roles. It can be delivered in a wide range of arts education settings, from schools and colleges, to youth clubs and uniformed groups, to theatres, galleries, libraries and museums. Participants can also present evidence in any format they choose, including films, photographs, sketches, performances, blogs, diaries and interviews.
A key aspect of Arts Award's appeal is its flexibility. It recognises all art forms, from fashion to poetry, rapping to dance, sculpture to film, as well as arts administration and technical roles. It can be delivered in a wide range of arts education settings, from schools and colleges, to youth clubs and uniformed groups, to theatres, galleries, libraries and museums. Participants can also present evidence in any format they choose, including films, photographs, sketches, performances, blogs, diaries and interviews.
Arts Award Levels
Which level is right for you?
If you're thinking about arts accreditation, bear in mind that Arts Award Discover and Explore qualifications are for learners 5 and up to the age of 25, with Bronze, Silver and Gold Arts Awards open to those aged 11 to 25. The levels represent a system of progression, but there's no requirement to have passed a particular level to progress to the next.
Four Arts Award levels – Explore, Bronze, Silver and Gold – are recognised on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). The highest level, Gold, is worth 16 UCAS points towards a university or college application. There's also an introductory level, Discover, aimed at younger children.
The list below gives an overview of ages and stages:
Arts Award Discover aimed at ages 5–9, but is open to anyone aged up to 25. No RQF
Arts Award Explore aimed at ages 7–11, but is open to anyone aged up to 25.
Bronze Arts Award aimed at ages 11–14 but is open to anyone aged 11 to 25.
This qualification involves working at the same standard as GCSE grades D–G/3–1)
Silver Arts Award is designed for ages 14–16 but is open to anyone aged 11 to 25.
This qualification involves working at the same standard as GCSE grades A*–C/9–4.
Gold Arts Award is designed for ages 16+ but is open to anyone aged 11 to 25.
This qualification involves working at the same standard as an A Level.
Each level of Arts Award involves a mix of guided learning hours (GLH), led by an adviser or other adult, and independent learning hours (ILH). Together these add up to the suggested 'Total qualification time' (TQT). The actual amount of time needed to complete a qualification will depend on the skills and experience of each individual or group, so the assigned TQT is for guidance only.
If you're thinking about arts accreditation, bear in mind that Arts Award Discover and Explore qualifications are for learners 5 and up to the age of 25, with Bronze, Silver and Gold Arts Awards open to those aged 11 to 25. The levels represent a system of progression, but there's no requirement to have passed a particular level to progress to the next.
Four Arts Award levels – Explore, Bronze, Silver and Gold – are recognised on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). The highest level, Gold, is worth 16 UCAS points towards a university or college application. There's also an introductory level, Discover, aimed at younger children.
The list below gives an overview of ages and stages:
Arts Award Discover aimed at ages 5–9, but is open to anyone aged up to 25. No RQF
Arts Award Explore aimed at ages 7–11, but is open to anyone aged up to 25.
Bronze Arts Award aimed at ages 11–14 but is open to anyone aged 11 to 25.
This qualification involves working at the same standard as GCSE grades D–G/3–1)
Silver Arts Award is designed for ages 14–16 but is open to anyone aged 11 to 25.
This qualification involves working at the same standard as GCSE grades A*–C/9–4.
Gold Arts Award is designed for ages 16+ but is open to anyone aged 11 to 25.
This qualification involves working at the same standard as an A Level.
Each level of Arts Award involves a mix of guided learning hours (GLH), led by an adviser or other adult, and independent learning hours (ILH). Together these add up to the suggested 'Total qualification time' (TQT). The actual amount of time needed to complete a qualification will depend on the skills and experience of each individual or group, so the assigned TQT is for guidance only.
Qualification |
GLH |
ILH |
TQT |
Estimated real time |
Arts Award Discover |
Through activity |
Through activity |
20 hours |
2 weeks - 1 month |
Arts Award Explore |
25 hours |
10 hours |
35 horus |
1 month - 2 months |
Bronze Arts Award |
40 hours |
20 hours |
60 hours |
2 - 3 months |
Silver Arts Award |
60 hours |
35 hours |
95 hours |
3 -6 months |
Gold Arts Award |
90 hours |
60 hours |
150 hours |
6 - 9 months |
Arts Award CostsArts Award do charge for resources and moderation, although they also offer funding so that everyone, no matter financial background has access to the program - please talk to us if you require funding.
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Arts Award Support Future Careers |
Arts Award resources for each level
Top tips for your Arts Award portfolio (the evidence you record of your Arts Award project)
- Do your arts award about something you are really interested in - either something you know really well and use the project to tell us all about it, or something you want to learn about and the project can chart your progress.
- Take lots of ticket stubs, photos or videos of everything you do, think of your portfolio as a scrap book of your project
- Keep notes or a journal of what you are doing and when - celebrate the win, but don't hide the challenges, overcoming the hard bits shows how and why you are learning.
- If you have video, audio, or photos you want to include as evidence, you can put these on a USB stick or upload online - but you must signpost (write down exactly where something can be found) this evidence under the section it helps to support, for example: "My leadership activity was filmed and can be found on the attached USB stick in the videos folder, file: Terrie Leadership part 1, part 2 & part 3. The first video, part 1, shows my introduction of the activity to the group, part 2 shows me supporting the participants, and part 3 shows the feedback."
- You can include extra information as an Appendix (a collection of extra supporting information, usually at the back of the portfolio), but don't just put everything in the appendix, it must earn its place and help explain your project. Double check if the information would be better placed in a main section. If you do use an appendix, tell the moderator what to find and where - for example: "When I went to the event I took lots of photos of things I found interesting, but my favourite moment was meeting the artist - see appendix pages 3-6."
- You can build your portfolio online using Arts Award Voice Magazine, which is a participant focused online magazine with lots of tools and tips to help you through your Arts Award
