Circus Oz Workshops. Image credit: Charlie Kinross
A new initiative for Creative Workers and Victorian Government schools
Creative Workers in Schools (CWS) provides the opportunity for 150 creative industry workers to undertake a six-month residency in Victorian government schools, including special schools. Creative workers and Schools will be 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 offers creative learning opportunities for students that highlight the value of the arts at a time where creative expression, hope and the sense of community are needed more than ever, and provide schools with an alternative approach to address learning objectives through creative projects or activities. The program will also provide a platform to build relationships and employment opportunities between creative workers and schools.
The CWS program will provide 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 will develop transferrable skills for future work opportunities.
The CWS program is 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 allows 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) will be invited to submit an expression of interest (EoI) to partner on a CWS project. To participate in the program schools will require an idea for a project or set of activities and a nominated school project coordinator.
Creative Workers will be required to highlight their creative skills and experience, have demonstrated interest in working with young people, developing and implementing a creative project in a school setting. Creative workers will be ‘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 will develop their project plan together, with support from RAV program staff for the project duration. Creative workers will also undertake a range of training programs delivered by key cultural agencies.
KEY DATES
The CWS program will take place in schools in in one of two streams, across Terms 1 and 2 or Terms 2 and 3 2021.
Key Dates: Stream One
- Employment period: 25 January – 23 July 2021
Key Dates: Stream Two
- Induction and planning sessions: 12 April – 23 April 2021
- Employment period: 12 April – 8 October 2021
View Creative Victoria’s comprehensive guide on planning and delivering successful Arts & Education partnerships: Great Partnerships How -To-Guide
COVID-19
To ensure the project can continue through changing circumstances due to coronavirus, the CWS program will allow for flexibility of the project delivery model. RAV will work with the school and the creative worker to establish an appropriate delivery method and flexible timeline tailored for each school. A blended model of virtual and practical learning can be developed where relevant.
Please consider the potential shift of your project online should schools return to remote and flexible learning. A complete shift to virtual delivery may not be 100% successful for some types of projects, schools and creative workers will be supported by RAV to plan for and transition to this model if required.
Any Creative Workers in Schools enquiries should be directed to:
Pippin Davies
Arts & Education Manager
Regional Arts Victoria
P: 0427 211 123