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 co-design and deliver an educationally valuable project or set of activities that supported 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 a sense of community were needed, providing schools with an alternative approach to addressing 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 to upskill and gain extended experience in working within school and and community settings. Through training and mentorships, creative workers developed transferrable skills for future work opportunities.
The CWS program was delivered by Regional Arts Victoria in partnership with the Department of Education and Training and Creative Victoria through the support of the Victorian Government’s Working for Victoria initiative, and ran for two streams across Terms 1 and 2, and Terms 2 and 3 in 2021.