Our research demonstrates the positive impact on young people of working with art, artists and galleries.

What is the development journey for young people who participate in focused art provision?

Increased confidence: Participants experienced growth in personal, social, and creative confidence. This included greater self-esteem, improved social skills, and enhanced creative expression.

Personal growth: Young people developed resilience, self-assurance, and a sense of agency, becoming more comfortable in their own stories and identities.

Social skills: The programmes fostered a sense of belonging and acceptance, enhancing participants' ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively with others.

Creative skills: Participants gained confidence in using materials and equipment, experimenting with ideas, and taking creative risks. They developed a sense of ownership and pride in their artwork.

Wellbeing: The programmes supported overall wellbeing by providing a safe and inclusive space for personal and creative exploration, leading to meaningful personal growth. This led to improved academic performance for some participants.

What learning do cultural institutions gain through working long-term with/alongside young people?

Organisational change: Through developing long-term programmes that seek to positively impact young people's wellbeing and confidence, engagement beyond the learning teams into the wider gallery operations resulted in small but significant changes in organisational behaviour and processes.

Strengthened community ties: Collaborating with schools and community groups helps galleries build stronger relationships within their local communities, supporting young people at a time of critical need.

Innovative practices: Engaging in process-led and inclusive arts programmes allows galleries to explore and innovate their practices, leading to new methodologies and approaches that are found to have benefit for young people and the other organisations involved.

Professional development: Staff and artists involved in these programmes gain valuable experience, knowledge and skills in working with diverse groups, enhancing their professional development and capacity to deliver impactful programmes.

What learning do cultural institutions gain through working long-term with/alongside young people?

Shifting perceptions and understanding: Organisations noticed shifts in teachers’ perception of the possibilities of different artistic practices, and awareness of new artforms was increased. Teachers realised it was OK for them – as a teacher – not to always ‘get’ art straight away, and that it is OK if there is noise and bustle in a lesson (a shift in what a successful lesson looks like, which was often based on how well behaviour is managed). Teachers also realised it was beneficial to step away from the curriculum and outside of the classroom, and that they could appreciate appreciating process over outcome more. 

Confidence in using the gallery as a resource: Teachers became confident about what the gallery could offer, seeing it as a valuable resource; they committed to bringing students back after the project had ended, and became confident in integrating the gallery into their curriculum. 

Deeper relationships were built between teachers and their students: Galleries noticed that teachers were able to listen more/better; were able to observe their students in a different light through being outside the classroom; and that there were shifts in their perception of the capabilities of their students. 

Wider reach for the arts in school: Galleries were told that the projects advocated for the arts as a subject, and that the kudos provided by the gallery partnership was valuable for the subject’s status in school. Bringing the displays to the schools – in the case of Tate St Ives and Camden Art Centre – further advocated for the arts.