Overview

Watch the recorded version of the 2015 Online Artists in Schools Information Session

Artists in Schools provides opportunities for professional artists to work with young people in Victorian primary and secondary schools.

The program provides funding of $10,000 for schools to engage an artist for approximately 20 days to work with students and teachers on a creative project in any art form. The program generates innovative ways to engage students across the curriculum and provides students, teachers and artists with diverse and challenging experiences.

Arts Victoria’s Education Partnership staff held  a series of free Artists in Schools information sessions for artists and teachers interested in the program.

The information sessions provide an opportunity to:

• Learn about the new online system for applying
• See how projects can support learning across the AusVELS
• Hear from teachers and artists about their experience of the program
• See outcomes of previous projects
• Connect with teachers and artists interested in getting involved in the program

A recorded session is available here

Artists in Schools

Artists in Schools provides opportunities for professional artists to work with young people in Victorian primary and secondary schools. It involves school communities in creative partnership projects while providing students, teachers and artists with diverse and challenging learning experiences. The program generates innovative ways to engage students across the curriculum from Foundation to Year 10.

Schools engage an artist for approximately 20 days to work with students and teachers on a creative project, which may be in any art form.

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from Victorian schools, including primary, secondary, government and non-government schools, including schools for students with special needs

If a school received Artists in Schools or Extended Schools Residencies funding for 2014, 2013 or 2012, it is ineligible to apply for funding for 2015.

A school that has been identified as being eligible to apply to the Extended School Residencies category may also apply to the Artists in Schools category. However, if the school is successful in receiving Extended School Residencies funding, their Artists in Schools application will be deemed ineligible.

Projects that involve the artist working with the students in Term 1, 2015 will not be eligible. Projects can use Term 1 for further planning and preparation between the artist and school.

An artist can only be supported once in an AIS funding round.

An artist who has worked on three consecutive Artists in Schools funded projects is encouraged to ‘take a break’ from the program for approximately three years.

Schools that have not satisfactorily acquitted previous Arts Victoria funding are not eligible to receive further funding.

The Artist

Artists may work in any art form or combination of art forms, including literature, visual arts, performing arts and new media.

The artist must be a practicing professional artist who relates well to young people and communicates, discusses and demonstrates their art with ease. Artists are required to have a Working with Children Check to work in a school.

Performances or workshops that are identical, or very similar to those that the artist provides regularly in schools on a commercial basis will not be supported.

In a school an artist acts as a facilitator, catalyst, resource or model. The artist demonstrates and shares insight into the skills and processes as well as the ideas and aesthetics involved in producing a work of art. If a collaborative work is created the artist should maintain the overall artistic direction.

The artist enriches teaching practice by passing on skills and knowledge through formal or informal teacher professional learning sessions. Routine classroom duties are the responsibility of the school not the artist. A teacher is expected to be present when the artist is working with students.

The School

An Artists in Schools project needs significant support from the school.

The school needs to:

• Provide financial and in-kind support for the project within their own resources and/or through other external funding. The program will not support the entire cost of a project. Priority is given to funding artist/s fees. The school usually covers the other project costs.
• Provide adequate staff support, including a project coordinator and possibly a reference or support group.
• Allocate an appropriate working area for the artist.
• Identify the target group of students to be involved. An artist cannot be expected to work in a meaningful and in depth manner with large numbers of students.
• Ensure the project is embedded in the AusVELS (Australian Curriculum in Victoria) curriculum.
• Welcome the artist into the school community

The Project Coordinator

Closing Dates

5pm, Wednesday 10 September 2014 for projects commencing after 13 April 2015.

It takes approximately 13 weeks from the closing date until funding results are available.

Funds Available

Grants of $10,000 are available for schools to engage an artist for approximately 20 days.

Arts Victoria receives more funding applications than it can support. Applicants should not make any financial commitment on the expectation that they will receive funding. 

If the application for funding is successful the applicant may be required to align its program to the latest iteration of the AusVELS if they have not already done so.