SMART (Serious Makers of ARTs) launched in October half term thanks to a new grant from Northern Rail Community Improvement Fund.
The SMART scheme aims to support young people’s ambitions to enter the arts sector with a creative training scheme for age 13 – 25s, especially aimed at those interested in non-traditional routes into careers.
We began with a Creative Training Camp between 29 th – 31 st October, where participants learned the basics of planning and running a workshop, had one-to-ones with experienced creative professionals and stretched their creativity in Virtual Reality creative apps. Sessions were run by Trixi Bold, a community dance practitioner with 18 years experience of dance teaching and leadership training; Gareth Carbery, multi-intrumentalist and music producer with 25 years experience of collaboration and education; and Joseph Doubtfire, visual artist and specialist in VR applications for 3D sculpting. Trixi said “I always love running leadership training, it’s so important for young people’s development as artists or other creative practitioners”. Progression from these sessions will be supported by HPCA Creative Programme Manager, Sophie Mackreth, with over 20 years experience of producing community and youth arts programmes.
Nine people aged from across the age range signed up in October, and they will get future opportunities to test their skills as a young volunteer on other HPCA projects, access mentoring and apply for paid work on the youth programme. Two members are now joining the Derbyshire Makes steering group – watch this space for more news on that Sophie said “this approach is particularly suited for neurodivergent young people, or anyone who faces a barrier to accessing routes such college and university. These settings and the reliance on unpaid work experience have traditionally excluded many creative people from entering the creative industries.”
Anyone wanting to sign up should go to www.highpeakarts.org/SMART, or contact sophie@highpeakarts.org for more information. Sessions are at Victoria Hall in Glossop, but there is some transport support available.
