Circus Oz Workshops. Image credit: Charlie Kinross

Creative Workers in Schools

An initiative for Creative Workers and Victoria Government schools

Creative Workers in Schools (CWS) provided the opportunity for 150 creative industry workers to undertake a six-month residency in Victorian government schools, including special schools. Creative workers and Schools were supported to work together to codesign and deliver an educationally valuable project or set of activities that supports learning across the Victorian Curriculum F“10 over 6 months.

The CWS program offered creative learning opportunities for students that highlighted the value of the arts at a time where creative expression, hope and the sense of community were needed more than ever, and provided schools with an alternative approach to address learning objectives through creative projects or activities.  The program also provided a platform to build relationships and employment opportunities between creative workers and schools.

The CWS program provided valuable training for creative workers impacted by COVID-19 (coronavirus) to upskill and gain extended experience in working within school and community settings. Through training and mentorships, creative workers were able to develop transferrable skills for future work opportunities.

The CWS program was delivered by Regional Arts Victoria (RAV), in partnership with Department of Education and Training (DET), and Creative Victoria through the support of the Victorian Government’s Working for Victoria (WFV) initiative.

The CWS program allowed schools access to Victoria’s creative industry workers as either individuals or creative teams of up to five via face to face sessions, virtual communication platforms or a blend of both methods.

Victorian government schools and creative workers (registered through WFV) were invited to submit an expression of interest (EoI) to partner on a CWS project. To participate in the program schools required an idea for a project or set of activities and a nominated school project coordinator.

Creative Workers were required to highlight their creative skills and experience and have demonstrated interest in working with young people, developing and implementing a creative project in a school setting. Creative workers were ˜matched’ with schools based on a range of factors including proximity to the school, matching of interest in creative projects or project/activity ideas with creative worker skills and experience, and school preferences.

Once matched, schools and creative workers were able to develop their project plan together, with support from RAV program staff for the project duration. Creative workers also undertook a range of training programs delivered by key cultural agencies.

KEY DATES

The CWS program took place in schools in in one of two streams, across Terms 1 and 2 or Terms 2 and 3 2021.

View Creative Victoria’s comprehensive guide on planning and delivering successful Arts & Education partnerships.