futuresomethingproject:who

Artswork is an experienced youth arts development agency. Our overall aim is to make a strategic impact on the level and quality of creative opportunities for young people. For Artswork, “creative opportunities for young people ” means participatory arts and activities by and with young people outside of schools and other formal educational settings, and outside of the demands of the national curriculum. Artswork is committed to initiating projects, which have potential for development beyond our own involvement.

Our resources are directed towards:
• Young people between 12 and 25.
• Young people who do not value their own creative work due to the response to, and perceived value of youth culture.
• Young people who fail to recognise their own potential as professional artists, peer leaders, or role models.
• Young people at risk, for social, geographical, economic or other reasons, and for whom there may be other barriers to access or participation in the arts.

Artswork are widely recognised by national and regional policy makers, and have an established track record of initiating and managing large-scale regional or national action research projects and events, and for informal training and consultancy. Artswork run the publications and training programme ARTSPLAN and publish the UK’s only national youth arts magazine UPSTART.

Artsworks FSP Manager is Andy Robinson (andy@artswork.demon.co.uk)

www.artswork.org.uk

NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, was set up by Act of Parliament in 1998. Their purpose was to help create a vibrant, dynamic culture and economy by supporting and promoting innovation and creativity in the UK. To this end, their aims are to help talented individuals reach their potential, to help innovative ideas reach the market, and to contribute to public knowledge and appreciation of science, technology and the arts.

They are funded by an endowment from the National Lottery and use the interest to back people of exceptional talent and imagination.

NESTA believes that wealth creation, and our quality of life in the UK, depends on a vibrant and thriving educational system - one that cultivates and celebrates excellence and creativity. To this end, NESTA's Learning (formerly Education) programme aims to support innovative and pioneering learning projects which provide models for others to follow or develop and to increase public understanding of individual creativity in science, technology and the arts.

They support highly innovative approaches to learning and understanding about creativity for people of all ages. They are keen to breakdown barriers and add value to the curriculum. Beyond formal education, they support fresh thinking about continuous professional development and new tools for learning and lifelong learning.

www.nesta.org.uk

Future Something Project brings together the following 2 groups, to interact together as creative teams:

Mentors: Experienced communication technology entrepreneurs / designers / artists, who traditionally work in solitude either as freelancers, or in small enterprises. They are relatively young (21– 35) and are either recent graduates, or engaged in paid work for commercial clients.

Students: A group of young people aged 18 - 25 who may have shown latent creativity, ability, and aptitude for creative arts, communication technology, and/or digital media, but who have had little or no access to high-level training and education, or who have found traditional education to be difficult or inappropriate. The students are formed into four teams, 4-6 in each team, and led by one mentor.

The four FSP Teams are:

FSP432
Mentor: Mo Ling Chui (www.themcdc.com)
Students: Lisa Cooper, Simon Feasey, Michael Barnikel, Martin Chandler

FSPChichester
Mentor: Tobie Kerridge (www.interaction.rca.ac.uk/alumni/01-03/tobie/index.html)
Students: Kevin Fairhall, Gemma Stapleford, Daniel Watson, Alec, Marian Elliot

FSPWorthing
Mentor: Crispin Jones (www.mr-jones.org)
Students: Josh Lancaster, Charlie Friar, Matt Hall, James King

FSPBrighton
Mentor: John Murdoch (www.untellect.com)
Students: Tolu Osinhowo, Glen Lashley, Chris Johnson, Dan Newman Moore

As part of the evaluation of FSP a research team are working with qualitative and ethnographic research methods to assess the linguistic, cognitive and attitudinal changes and developments in the participants as they progress through FSP.

The research team are from Goldsmiths College University of London Department of Educational Studies. The Department has a vibrant research culture, achieving a 4 in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. Research interests of staff are wide and varied, including educational policy, bilingualism, early years education, teacher education, curriculum theory and practice, equal opportunities, personal and social development, adult continuing and community education. There are a number of major funded research projects located within the Department. It is a recognised outlet for the receipt of ESRC studentships at both Masters and Doctoral level. The Department publishes twice annually the Goldsmiths Journal of Education.

The Department has a large number of staff who are actively engaged in research involving young people’s learning in a variety of settings within the context of the arts and a range of digital media. The team engaging with FSP are led by Dr John Jessel and Dr Dennis Atkinson, and includes Dr Jeff Adams, Paul Dash, and Steve Herne.

www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/departments/educational-studies/