Curious Minds

A Spark of Creative Change

Consortium of North West Based Arts Organisations Ignite a Spark of Creative Change within Participatory Arts

The Consortium for Participatory Arts Learning (C-PAL) has launched the Core Competency Framework: Excellence in Arts Practice; a set of guidelines that have been designed to give guidance for organisations working with, and developing arts projects aimed at the participatory arts sector.

The consortium, made up of 13 separate arts organisations from across the North West, came together in light of a report from Arts Council England (ACE), which identified the need to set guidelines of best practice for people and organisations working in participatory arts. The recommendation made by ACE was for the guidelines to be developed from the grass roots of the sector and developed by those working in the industry. The culmination of many years hard work is a robust and sustainable framework of how best to plan and execute projects that are aimed at working with members of the public from a wide range of backgrounds; including disability groups, minority ethnic groups, young and older people.

The guidelines allow arts organisations to assess their current levels of practice and competencies and work towards the standards the Core Competency Framework sets out. When put into practice, the framework will allow arts organisations to better demonstrate the quality of work they are already delivering in a tangible way, as well as make adjustments in order to thrive in coming changes to the wider arts and culture industry.

Ben Hunt, Chief Executive of Your Prescap and participant in C-PAL said:

I am delighted to see many years of hard work become a reality. The Core Competencies Framework which has been developed in partnership with C-PAL organisations is groundbreaking within the arts sector. It is our hope the framework is adopted by many more organisations, further increasing the distinctive value arts organisations offer the people they work with as well as their local communities. Never before have so many organisations worked so closely to develop guidelines which set a clear and definitive standard of operation for organisations involved in participatory arts. The framework allows for better planning and execution for projects whether they are internal and involve members of staff, or external projects which engage with the community. Having implemented the framework in our own organisation, we can already see the benefits.”

Simon Ruding, Director of TiPP said:

We felt that the sector desperately needed to have a shared approach and language which we can use to describe our practice.  We believe strongly that we need to professionalise the sector and develop some form of quality assurance approach that was consistent and developed by the sector, for the sector.”

The Core Competencies Framework: Excellence in Arts Practice documentation can be accessed on www.participatoryartslearning.wordpress.com as well as via C-PAL’s website www.cpal.info

 

A little more about C-PAL...

     C-PAL is a consortium of North West based arts organisations involved in participatory arts.

     Set up in 2005, C-PAL was established in response to Arts Council England, North West research into continued professional development in the participatory arts sector, in which the need for this consortium was identified.

     C-PAL has an ongoing program of opportunities for those working in, or wanting to work in participatory arts to continue their personal development. It provides a network for organisations to communicate, share and shape ideas as well as work on issues that may arise in the sector.

     Ultimately, C-PAL was set up to progress the participatory arts sector in the North West and explore how changes and developments can be made to increase its effectiveness as an engagement tool for disadvantaged and disenfranchised people.

     The member organisations of C-PAL include:

     Your Prescap (Preston)

     Cheshire Dance (Winsford)

     Osun Arts Foundation (Liverpool)

     Lanternhouse (Ulverston)

     Community Arts North West (Manchester)

     LIME (Manchester)

     Ludus Dance (Lancaster)

     Action Factory (Blackburn)

     More Music (Morecambe)

     TIPP (Manchester)

     Mid Pennine Arts (Burnley)

     Collective Encounters (Liverpool)

     Cartwheel Arts (Rochdale)