Arden DFAS Young Arts

Young Arts is an initiative which encourages Societies to be involved in the enhancement of the lives of young people in the area of Arts development and education.

The Arden Society gives very active support to this movement and has contributed in several ways:

• The establishment of Art prizes at Solihull Sixth Form College.
  The first awards were made on 5 July 2007. Photographs are available in our Photographs section.
  

• Details of the 2008 competition are on the NADFAS site. click here
  

• Support for a scheme in Solihull schools which provides extra-curricular activities for Year 6 pupils developing skills in the visual and performing arts.
  

• Donations to allow students on the History of Art degree course at Warwick University to extend their study-term in Italy to cover visits to special centres of interest.
  

• The provision of finance to allow trainee art teachers to visit galleries in Liverpool to gain experience and gather material.
  

• The donation to the Baverstock School of a small library of books on art.
  These books were donated by members of the Society (2006).

• Support over many years for the Solihull Education Department's Creativity Project. Artists, dramatists and dancers have been working with children in a local school on a theme which contrasts the children's world with that of their counterparts in Africa.
  

The Government has recently given its views concerning the amount of classroom time which should be given to creative work. Building on recent experience, the Committee's plans are to continue and expand the Society's input into the Creativity activities and to take any active part which might be possible.
The sponsorship of the Art prize at the local sixth-form college will be renewed.

Irene Smith
Young Arts Coordinator
August 2007