Scotland's Enterprising Schools

About the organisation

Established in 1994, Impact Arts is a forward-thinking community arts organisation which uses the arts and creativity to enable and empower social change.

We consider the arts as a positive tool for change – helping people to:

Build confidence and attain new skills
Get back into work or education
Source work in the creative arts
Enjoy better health or simply improve quality of life

We work collaboratively with children, young people, older people and communities to achieve our aims. We work predominantly, but not exclusively, with vulnerable groups.

Impact Arts places innovation, enterprise and creativity alongside outstanding delivery, sound management and a strong ethos of partnership to tackle society’s big issues.

Our talented in-house and freelance artists in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ayrshire and beyond, ensure that our artistic programmes, exhibitions, performances and events are of the highest quality. We exist to inspire creativity in people and regenerate our communities through a deep, rewarding relationship with the arts. #artchangeslives

Enterprise activity in schools

The Young Gallery:

The Young Gallery, based in the East End of Glasgow is Scotland’s only dedicated gallery space for children up to 12 years old. Many of the children we work with have never participated in artistic or creative processes before. We deliver a range of creative arts projects in schools and nurseries throughout Glasgow and across Scotland, to inspire and empower children. Their work is celebrated in exhibitions at the gallery.

THE YOUNG GALLERY PROGRAMME:

Builds children’s confidence and resilience

Helps to develop new creative skills

Culminates in a launch event where parents, friends and family are invited to view the work

Can support children through challenges in their lives, eg transitions at school or at home, coping with bereavement or family addiction issues

We also run our Young Gallery Programme in other geographic locations. Please contact Rob Gallagher on 0141 575 3001 or by emailing rgallagher@impactarts.co.uk if you would like to discuss running a Young Gallery Programme in your area.

STATS 2014/2015

298 children directly engaged in The Young Gallery

93% children increased in confidence & self-esteem

14 schools & nurseries engaged

Creative Connections

Creative Connections is an innovative pre-employability programme for young people aged 14+ who are experiencing difficulty or refusing to engage in the mainstream school curriculum. The programme has been developed to give young people the opportunity to work in a small (up to 15) group of peers on a creative project for 2 days per week over 5 weeks. The aim of the project is to develop confidence through accessible creative activities which will at the same time challenge the young people to engage in team work, employability and enterprise activities and creative learning and problem solving. Activities include:

Visual Art
Product Design
Performance
Film Making

The aim of the project is to re-engage young people in education, employment or training, with an emphasis on returning to school in new year. Additionally young people would have the option to engage in Impact Arts’ Creative Pathways / Connect two programmes once they reach school leaving age.

Gallery 37

Since 2005, we have delivered Gallery 37 across Edinburgh, Ayrshire and Glasgow, engaging over 600 young people in intensive blocks of creative activities, and over 2,000 audience members through showcases and celebration events.

Examples of some of our Gallery 37 programmes include:

Ayrshire, 2010-current, Gallery 37 is now delivered as part of Creative Scotland’s Time to Shine National Youth Strategy, connecting and engaging young people with their communities across Ayrshire through the arts.

Edinburgh, 2010- current. The programme is delivered as part of Edinburgh Fringe Festival and also in partnership with National Museums Scotland, where in 2015, young people created a digital heritage trail: http://www.nms.ac.uk/media/1035854/g37-exhibition-booklet-online-final-corrected.pdf

Glasgow, 2005-2010. In 2010, Gallery 37 ran at the Glue Factory, bringing together over 50 local young people. Their creative outputs were inspired by the various outings to Forth & Clyde Canal, participation in The Big Man festival, a trip to Jupiter Artland and a tour of Scottish Opera.

We deliver Gallery 37 as an early intervention and divisionary activity during identified peak times across the year which there is a rise in disengagement from positive destinations and an increase in anti-social behaviour. We therefore seek to target and engage the hardest to reach young people including those in care and after care, young offenders, NEET’s, young carers and those with additional needs.

Our referral partners include local High Schools and Youth Groups, Skills Development Scotland, Jobs and Business Glasgow, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS), other third sector youth organisations (e.g. Venture Trust, Action for Children, Barnardo’s etc).

From our 2014/2015 Gallery 37 programmes, 84% young people progressed onto positive destinations and 100% young people reported an increase in confidence.

Testimonials

Gallery 37:

“Gallery 37 was the first full time and mainstream course this young person had managed to attend successfully and it contributed greatly to their personal, social and emotional development. They speak of their experience in very positive terms and have gone on to engage in training.”

– Social Worker

“The Impact Arts team are approachable, organized, professional, and efficient but do not lose their sense of fun, compassion and creative flair. I cannot recommend the Gallery 37 programme highly enough, which supports vulnerable and hard to reach young people. Young people are able to not only exceed their own expectations and surprise themselves with what they are capable of, but also those of their families, carers and the professionals they work with.”

– Julie Blackwood, Specialist Occupational Therapist, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

The Young Gallery:

“In art lessons, most pupils are now more willing to explore and develop their skills using different mediums e.g. printing rather than just line drawing.”

– Mrs Wilson, P7 Class Teacher, Eastbank Primary School

“They were totally engaged in the activities that I observed working well together in groups, discussing, helping each other and sharing ideas and materials. It was an excellent opportunity to see the two classes mix and work well together.”

– Ms McLennaghan, P7 Class Teacher, St Paul’s Primary School

“The majority of the children were confident in their learning abilities; however now the children are more likely to come to the staff with an idea of what to make and the staff will help to scaffold that interest.”

– Linda Alexander, Early Years Teacher, Bellrock Nursery School