What we do
Click on a red title in the diagram below
for definitions
Strategic Development
The Arts Development Team develops strategies in accordance with national guidance and the needs of Aberdeenshire’s cultural sector.
Currently The Team is working to deliver The Aberdeenshire Arts Strategy 2003 – 2006. This Strategy remains in place while a cultural strategy identifying how best Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils can jointly deliver cultural activity is being developed.
The Team also works to deliver The Aberdeenshire Council Education Learning and Leisure Service Plan.
Regional Representation and Networks.
The Team represents the Aberdeenshire cultural sector at regional
level. The team has a wide range of expertise and maintains current
awareness of developments that may impact on the arts locally. Members
of the team advise various networks and groups, for example, North
East Arts Touring, Regional marketing Group and Aberdeenshire's
three arts forums – Banff
& Buchan Arts Forum, Gordon
Forum for the Arts, and Kincardine
& Deeside Arts Forum.
The Arts Development Team is instrumental in cross-service working within Aberdeenshire Council. The team works with
colleagues in Social Services, Planning, Economic Development, Education, Community Learning and Development and in regional networks such as
Aberdeenshire Towns
Partnership. The Team works to establish the arts as an integral element in these services e.g. The Public Art Strategy and Artsability
Delivery of National Initiatives
The Team delivers national initiatives at a local level, ensuring that Aberdeenshire benefits from such initiatives and that
local needs are addressed.
Through our network of contacts both within the Council and the wider cultural sector we are able to identify opportunities that will enable us
to deliver our priorities and address local need.
Currently the team is involved in a number of projects that deliver national initiatives:
- Pathfinder Project: - this initiative is in response to The Draft Cultural Bill(2007) and is designed to explore the issues around delivering cultural services across rural and urban environments. Pathfinder Projects, designed to research various aspects of cultural services, are being delivered across Scotland. They are funded by The Scottish Executive.
Our project is a joint venture between Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils. The Councils will be working with Genesis Consultants to establish the best way forward for joint cultural planning.
- The Youth Music Initiative: - this initiative is part of a national programme initiated by The Scottish Executive to increase participation in music for school age children. This project is being delivered in partnership with Education.
- The Creative Links Programme: - part of a national initiative, aimed at raising the profile of the arts in schools. This project is delivered in partnership with Education.
- The Cultural Coordinators: - a national initiative aimed at increasing cultural opportunities for school-age children. This project is delivered in partnership with Education.
Funding
The Team identifies and secures funding to enable the delivery of the Aberdeenshire Arts Strategy; during 2005 £1,101,000 was
raised. The team is also instrumental in helping community and independent sector organisations to secure funding, during the same period a
further £200,000 has so far been raised.
The Team maintains an overview of funding developments and is able to offer advice about what is available and the process of
applying.
For further information about available funding please visit our funding section
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Arts Education
The specific focus of the Arts Education Team is to increase participation by young people in cultural activity by
enhancing, developing and promoting arts and cultural activities in Aberdeenshire schools. The team works with a variety of
independent artists, arts organisations and national companies to achieve this aim.
The current team has been in place since October 2006 and comprises of one full time Arts Education officer (Creative
Links) and two full time Cultural Co-ordinators. Funding is available to maintain the Arts Education Team until the end of 2008.
History
In 1996 the Scottish Arts Council recognised the need to place Arts Education Officers within local authority education departments.
These officers were to strategically develop and implement achievable and sustainable arts education in schools by creating links between
education, arts, heritage and culture to improve and enhance the curriculum. Aberdeenshire appointed their first Arts Education Officer
(Creative Links, David Atherton, in 2004).
In 2002 the Scottish Executive initiated the Cultural Co-ordinators in Scottish Schools programme as part of the National
Cultural Strategy. The aim was to identify ways of maximising the contribution of arts and culture in education, and to maximise creativity in
schools in a strategic fashion. Aberdeenshire appointed 5 part time cultural co-ordinators between 2004 – 2006.
Between 2004 and 2006 The Art Education Officer and Cultural Co-ordinator team intiated and implemented over 262 projects
in schools, this benefited over 9,500 children and young people across Aberdeenshire.
The new team aims to build on their previous work.
The Arts Education Team service aims to:
- Focus on developing arts and cultural activities specifically for children and young people aged 3-18.
- Design, co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate school projects that support and enhance the curriculum.
- Identify areas of need in arts provision and provide appropriate support.
- Support children and young people by addressing their different learning styles through the arts.
- Support and organise CDP for teachers and arts practitioners, to facilitate greater collaboration and cross discipline working.
- Support the development of artists working within education.
- Offer advice and support to teachers on creativity in education.
- Raise the profile of the arts in education.
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Advice and Support
Artists and Arts Organisations
Advice is provided to organisations on a wide range of topics such as funding, best practice, marketing and statutory responsibilities.
Organisations can also benefit from the wide network that has been developed by the Team.
The Team provides support in a variety
of ways responding to the needs and existing infrastructure
of the various art-forms and artists. For example: the writing
community is supported by the publication of ‘Pushing Out The Boat’, an acclaimed
journal that features the literature of North East Scotland. The performing arts are supported through North East Arts Touring, and visual
arts are supported through the Aberdeenshire Visual Arts
Award. The Team offers support to many other forums and networks for the arts.
Community Projects
The Arts Development Officers have geographic remits and are involved at varying levels with community projects. The role that officers play
will depend on local circumstances and vary from an advisory capacity to one of leadership and coordination.
Training
The cultural sector in Aberdeenshire has an active voluntary and independent sector. The Team provides training that helps the sector to reach
its full potential.
Training to address the needs of artists developing their practice is also delivered.
Training is often delivered in partnership with other agencies, such as The Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) and The Cultural Enterprise Office.
Recent sessions include: - Business Skills for Artists and Making Applications.
Information
The Team incorporates a wide range of expertise, knowledge and
contacts and regularly gives out information on a wide variety
of topics.
Our website www.aberdeenshirearts.org.uk continues to develop and expand, providing a wide range of information relevant to the North East. As you will see it includes a comprehensive what’s on, directories of artists and organisations, funding information, news, opportunities, a toolkit of practical information, contacts & links and an e-bulletin service. The Team also distributes information in print form, for example The Organisations Directory, The Festivals Leaflet and AberdeenshireArts News. Officers also frequently deal with enquiries on an individual basis.
The North East Folklore Archive (NEFA) is a web resource providing
information about the culture and traditions of the North East. It is housed in Aden Park, Mintlaw where further study of any of the material
can be arranged.
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Strategic Priorities
In response to The Aberdeenshire Arts Strategy the team has focused on several priorities. These will change from time
to time. Currently the
priorities are:
- Regeneration
- Health and Well-being
- The Voluntary Sector
Regeneration
Officers have been involved in regeneration activity through partnership working with Aberdeenshire Towns Partnership and other development
agencies. Some examples of the regeneration work are:
Green Route - Fraserburgh Going Green
RevitHar Programme - Artwork adds Colour to Buchan Landmark
The Art of Regeneration: exploring the role of public art in the community
Health and Wellbeing
During 2003 – 2005 the Artsability project increased opportunities for adults with learning disability to engage with quality arts
activity. The project was delivered in partnership with Social Services and is now mainstreamed into that service.
The current focus is mental wellbeing. Through partnership working some very successful high profile work has been
delivered (Pathways). Major funding is currently being sought for developments that will promote the benefits of the arts to folk with mental
health issues. Some examples of the health and wellbeing work are:
Pathways@Inverurie Health Centre
Pushing Out The Boat - Issue 6
Pushing Out The Boat - Issue 5
The Voluntary Sector
This priority recognises the importance of this sector and the benefits it
delivers. Cultural activity has the potential to deliver huge benefit in terms of community development, social cohesion as
well as economic factors. For this benefit to be fully delivered in Aberdeenshire it is important that we provide the voluntary sector with
support that will enable them to develop to their full potential and provide a good service.
This support is provided through advice, training, information, strategic planning, and funding.
The Team has developed links with other agencies to support this work, for example The Council for Voluntary Services (CVS), Voluntary
Arts Network, Voluntary Arts
Network Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council
Community Learning and Development Service.
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Audience Development
In 2004 the Arts Development Team commissioned Morris Hargreaves & McIntyre to research and produce The Aberdeenshire
Audience Atlas. This gives us a wealth of information about how our communities engage with the arts and where our potential audiences
are. It also sets out recommendations.
These recommendations are now being progressed. The main areas of work are:
- PR accross the arts sector.
- Developing, promoting and delivering audience development projects including marketing, training, guidance and Family Friendly.
- Improving information flow, including further development of our web presence, ebulletin service, and its distribution.
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Media Resources
The ARC Recording Studio (www.nefa.net/arc/index.htm)
The ARC studio provides a modern digital recording facility for use by professional and community musicians and schools working in a wide range
of music genres.
The studio can be hired and has been used for a huge range of music including operatic singing, chamber music, traditional and rock as well as
recording the spoken word.
The Media Unit
The Media Unit produces educational and corporate DVDs. It also aims to increasing participation in the creation of moving image, by delivering
participatory projects, skills transfer & training.
The Media Unit has created a digital editing suite at their Kintore base, which is available for the use by groups and
individuals. The Media Unit offers training to colleagues from other services, group leaders, community groups, artists etc. Some examples of the media unit work are:
How Good is our Town
F.A.S.H
North East Folklore Archive (NEFA) (www.nefa.net)
The North East Folklore Archive
is a web resource providing information about the culture and
traditions of the North East. It is housed in Aden Park, Mintlaw
where further study of any of the material can be arranged.
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