UNESCO Creative Leaders Programme 2017
Welcome to the UNESCO Creative Leaders programme 2017 In 2012 Norwich was named England’s first UNESCO City of Literature, a decision based on its rich and varied literary heritage. As an organisation, UNESCO is committed to protecting what is precious and valuable from our past but also to supporting and nurturing the best for our future. This programme is all about doing just that. The aims of this programme are: • To make creative writing accessible and engaging for the regions’ young people. • To help young people develop skills in cultural leadership and education. • To provide professional development opportunities in the literary sector for students as a compliment to their studies. As participants on this programme you will receive professional training from WCN staff.You will be placed on a WCN organised project and receive on-going support throughout the process. On completion of the project, you can opt to remain on our books and receive alerts concerning forthcoming volunteer and/or work opportunities in the literary arts. Taking part in this programme, you can expect to gain: • Professional training • On-going support • A unique volunteering experience • Access to future volunteering and/or work opportunities Silver Arts Award Writers’ Centre Norwich is a registered Arts Award Provider, specialising in literary themed Arts Award. As part of the Creative Leaders programme, we can support you through the process for achieving a Silver Level Arts Award qualification (level 2 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework, QCF). This is a nationally recognised qualification that can be used on your CV or in personal statements. The award requires that you document all your activities in a portfolio which is then assessed and moderated before a decision on the award is made. It is not compulsory to take part in this if you do not wish to. For more information, including films and podcasts, please go to: http://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/?id=66
Safeguarding What is a DBS Check? A DBS Check is a certificate that tells an employer if a person has a criminal record or is barred from working with children. This is carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), hence the name ‘DBS Check’. You will need this document if you are going to work with young people, both as an employee or as a volunteer. The checks can be Standard, Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred List Check and it costs £69 or £25 for volunteers. In order to apply for a DBS check, you will need to fill out a form that Writers’ Centre Norwich can provide as well as 3 original identity documents. For the documents or further information, you should refer to the ID checking guidelines that you will find at www.gov.uk/dbs Any queries, please let us know! About Safeguarding Children: The main principles* The welfare of the child is paramount. • It is the responsibility of all adults to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils. • Adults who work with children are responsible for their own actions and behaviour and should avoid any conduct which would lead any reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions. • Adults should work and be seen to work, in an open and transparent way. • The same professional standards should always be applied regardless of culture, disability,gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity. • Adults should continually monitor and review their practice and ensure they follow the guidance contained in the document Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Adults who work with Children and Young People in Education Settings. Remember that as a WCN-UNESCO volunteer, if you have any query or concern about this issue you should always get in touch with your contact person at Writers’ Centre Norwich, she will provide advice and guidance. * Extracted from the Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Adults who work with Children and Young People in Education Settings.We highly recommend reading it for advice regarding very important issues about safeguarding and how to work with children in the safer way. Find it on http://www.childrenengland.org.uk/upload/Guidance%20.pdf
Creative Learning and Engagement Leading: Top Tips Presenting yourself as a creative learning and engagement leader Appraise your skills and interests (be honest!). What are you able to offer? • • • • •
Project or event administrative, organisational or management support? Research support and compilation (what sort of research for what purpose eg. funding or evaluation purposes?) Schools work (what age groups?) Community group work (any particular groups? If working with groups with specific needs – have you any experience or training in these areas?) Mentoring services
Once you are clear with yourself, you will be able to communicate more clearly to others. Make sure you give plenty of thought to how to convey this. Prospective employers, arts producers or commissioning editors need to be able to see quickly who you are, what you can do and some examples of what you have done.
Receiving a brief This is a very important document as it will outline the key information about your project. You must read it carefully. A good brief should include: • • • •
What the project is for Who it is with and who it is for Where and when it will run What will be required of you and what the conditions of your employment/commission will be
When you receive a brief read it carefully. If anything is unclear you must ask your employer/ project manager to clarify – do not try and guess the meaning. If you are currently a student, it is very important to ensure that you will be around for the duration of the project or event. If you are not, do not agree to do it.
Preparation As the project draws near ensure you are well prepared. When working in the arts, events or education, you cannot be too prepared! If assisting with project administration, management or research, make sure you’re clear about the purpose and structure of the project. • • • • •
What are the aims and objectives of project? Who are the key people involved and what are they responsible for? What will you need to do, what are your key deadlines? Who are you in collaboration with? What do you need to know to carry out your role effectively?
If delivering a workshop, plan the session carefully. • How long is the session? • How long will each of the components of your workshop require? • What do you need to have achieved by the end of the session? • Who is your contact teacher/group leader? • Will there be sufficient staff in attendance? (Never deliver workshops with the presence of the contact teacher or other approved member of support staff.) What resources will you need (what does the school have, what will you need to bring)? • Where are you going? If providing mentoring consider the following: • What are the key aims and objectives of your mentee? What techniques will help to achieve this? Do they have special needs or requirements to need to take into account? Do you have the sufficient support and supervision you require to ensure your, and your mentee’s, safety and peace of mind?
Delivery • Arrive at the venue with plenty of time to set up any equipment/resources you need • Keep upbeat and friendly. No matter what you are doing you’re energy sets the tone for the event • Don’t worry if things don’t go according to plan. Keep calm, apologise where necessary, and either resume or adopt a new tactic. • Before the event concludes and you leave the venue Follow-up Following up from the project is important. There might be editorial work to do on the creative outputs from the project but at the very least there will be a project debrief and evaluation. This will take several forms.You try and prepare to respond to them all. • • • •
Participant evaluation – who took part? How many? What did they feel about their experience? Audience evaluation – who attended? How many? What did they feel about the experience? Internal evaluation – how did the project team work together? What could have been improved? Personal evaluation – how do you feel you did? What could be improved?
Working with young people: Top Tips This is a list of a few ‘hints and tips’ for working with young people. This is by no means a definitive list; it will grow and shape as you gain experience and develop your own style and methods for working with young people. Set up a safe and comfortable environment, both physical and imagined Move furniture around, make the space visually attractive and ensure the space is free from outside distraction. From an imagined perspective this is about your approach; be open, honest and supportive with young people and make sure you’re approachable and that the creative process is accessible. Set expectations and decide what sort of practitioner you want to be Young people will respond quickly to the persona you display the first time you meet them. It’s about creating a balance between being friendly and firm. Ensure you set expectations from the beginning. These don’t have to be your expectations. They can be expectations that the group come up with collectively, guided by you. Structure Everyone, whatever their age, when put in a workshop or lesson environment likes to know what they will be doing and what the purpose of the session will be. When you start a session, make sure the young people are clear on the theme for the session, what kind of activities they will be taking part in and the aims for the session (to produce a series of haikus, develop a character they will use in their writing etc). Timing is everything Make sure you allow the right amount of time for a session; you often need more time than you think, and it is better not to finish something than to rush it. Make sure you always assess the engagement in the room during activities, and sense if the group need more time or if it’s time to move on.Young people will work at different speeds, so make sure that you are prepared to maintain engagement of individuals no matter what speed they are working at. Clarity Be clear in what you’re asking the young people to do. Test your activity out on some friends first. Choose your words wisely. If the activity is complicated, and has several parts to it, split the activity in several steps, and introduce the next step once the group have completed the first. Persevere If an expectation has been established, by you or the group, ensure it is met every single session. Persevere with this expectation until all of the group are keeping to it. As soon as you get slack, they will too! Keep it physical A creative environment should be lively and physically active, don’t let it stagnate. Move around the space. Walk over to, and talk directly to, young people. Demonstrate things if they don’t understand. Be ‘open’ with your posture. Get the group moving around and working with other people.
Enthusiasm The more enthusiastic you are about something, the more other people are too. Smile, and be passionate when you’re talking. If you’re interested in what you’re saying then the group will be engage. Be encouraging and supportive Praise, praise, praise is the name of this game. Especially when you notice it’s needed but generally as a matter of course! Ensure your praise is distributed evenly among the group. Make it fun! If you enjoy an activity, chances are, so will a young person. Keep in mind if you would feel comfortable doing an activity. Could it potentially feel too exposing? If you’d feel overly nervous or self-conscious doing something, then they will probably feel the same. Ensure the young people feel supported and able to say if they don’t want to take part in something. Make it relevant If young people are struggling to generate ideas or understand a process, make it obviously relevant to them. Work with things you have learnt about them, offering examples and inspiration from their life that you have picked up along the way, or ask questions about their life (in a sensitive, non-intrusive way). Find a starting point that makes sense to them. It is useful to reflect on your own life before you meet the young people, have some examples up your sleeve and some considered approaches. It makes the process easier if you’ve done it yourself. Get creative and join the process If you’re involved in the creative process it helps you to see the whole thing from the perspective of the young people. It also puts you on a level with them rather than creating a hierarchy. Consider what breakthroughs you have already made in your own creative endeavours, and how it happened. Has a particular experience inspired you to be creative? What artistic barriers have you faced, and how did you tackle them? Challenge them! It’s boring if you don’t feel challenged in some way. Ensure your activities are challenging and stretch the young people’s creativity and capacity. Learning methods Everyone learns in different ways. Ensure your sessions contain kinaesthetic, visual, aural and oral activities to help support the different ways in which individuals learn. Keep a record of what you observe about the young people’s learning and engagement. Use activities that don’t involve writing. Play games. Use music as background noise. Keep things fresh and interesting!
Creative Leader Projects 2017 January … December Young Ambassadors mentoring January … March Norwich Lower School and WCN: Children’s Republic of Literature creative writing club assistance January … July Young Norfolk Arts Festival creative roadshow and book festival February … July Young Norfolk Writers’ Competition January … October Anguish Educational Trust: Ways and Words Across the year … Children’s City of Literature Workshops Norfolk Story Map: Research and Editorial Assistance
CONTACT INFO Writers’ Centre Norwich Dragon Hall 115-123 King Street, Norwich NR1 1QE Tel: +44 (0)1603 877177 Sophie Scott-Brown – Learning & Participation Manager sophie.scottbrown@writerscentrenorwich.org.uk Megan Bradbury – Programme Assistant megan.bradbury@writerscentrenorwich.org.uk
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