Lady Lever Art Gallery – Art Present

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Brief description

LadyLever Art Gallery (LLAG) is one of nine museums that form National Museums Liverpool. Art Present junior guides scheme aims to train young people aged 14 to 18 to lead guided tours for primary school groups around the gallery. The scheme is designed to diversify the gallery's audience and expand young people's interest in the arts through increasing their knowledge and understanding of the gallery, its collections and operation, and providing a platform for them to act as ambassadors on its behalf. Additional volunteering opportunities are also provided within practical workshops as part of the wider young people's provision. Formal accreditation is offered through Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme.

Collaboration

The scheme works in partnership with local secondary schools and is supported by National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies and Wirral Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (WDFAS). Wirral LEA also provides support and has been closely involved with its development.

Funding

NADFAS sponsored the programme in 2005 and 2006 at a cost of £500, with additional funding provided by National Museums Liverpool. Costs for the 2006 programme totalled £780. The majority of the funds are spent during the delivery of the programme, which runs from September to December each year, mostly taken up by freelance fees to assist in delivery of training sessions.

Staffing

A full-time Learning Officer is responsible for managing the scheme. A freelance trainer assisted in the delivery of training sessions. A member of the volunteers section of Human Resources, a member of the Art Galleries Learning Team and the Head of LLAG are also involved. Two of the junior guides trained in 2006 will act as mentors and assist with training in 2007.

NATURE OF PROVISION

Which groups of young people does the project work with?

The scheme is aimed at young people aged 14 to18. An initial pilot scheme trained four guides in 2004. Following the formal launch of the programme, a further 19 guides have since been trained: eight as part of the Autumn 2005 programme and 11 in Autumn 2006.

There are generally more girls than boys interested in the scheme and the male to female ratio is approximately 1:3.

How was the need for the project identified?

LLAG identified a need to expand its young people's provision in order diversify its audience and break down some of the barriers for young visitors. It was also keen to support young people and their interest in the arts. The intimate space provided by LLAG was felt to be less intimidating than other National Museums Liverpool venues, thereby providing an ideal setting for young people to feel comfortable in delivering their tours.

How do young people become involved? What, if any, commitment do you ask for?

Volunteers are recruited from local secondary schools. Junior guides graduate on completion of a six to eight week training course which takes place after school during the autumn term. All guides are required to undertake at least one trial tour before delivering to the public.

What are the main approaches used and activities offered?

Over a series of six workshops, junior guides are introduced to the gallery, its collections and members of staff. The learning objectives include:

Methods of speaking and delivery to improve presentation skills;
How to analyse an artwork using a framework that can be applied to any medium;
Information about career choices in museums and galleries;
How to deliver practical activities; and
Methods for dealing with queries from groups.

Once training is complete the groups deliver tours to a local primary school during a launch event. This event is primarily held to provide the junior guides with hands-on experience of taking a group of primary school children on a tour of the gallery. Members of staff from their schools are also invited to attend and refreshments are provided. The junior guides' involvement in the gallery is continued through volunteering at practical workshops at weekends and during school holidays, as well as leading tours for their feeder primary schools.

How are young people involved in shaping the project/programme?

Junior guides are invited to provide feedback on the programme and have also been consulted on additional provision for young people. Graduates from the 2006 programme also completed a written evaluation and attended a consultation and feedback session. Informal feedback is given on an ongoing basis throughout the programme with young people becoming very vocal about what does and what doesn't work as they progress through it.

How does the project respond to the needs of different young people, particularly the most marginalised?

Port Sunlight Village is surrounded by economically deprived areas such as Rock Ferry, New Ferry and Bebington. An effort is made to recruit junior guides from these secondary schools in order to bring young people into the gallery that would not ordinarily visit.

OUTCOMES OF WORK

Does the project contribute to the five Every Child Matters outcomes for young people?

The project makes a particular contribution to outcomes relating to 'enjoy and achieve' and 'making a positive contribution' through providing opportunities for personal and social development and volunteering.

What skills do young people gain through their involvement in the project?

The scheme provides young people with experience of working in an arts environment with the support of arts professionals. Volunteers are provided with opportunities to develop confidence, leadership skills and a range of work based skills such as presentation skills, time management and team working as well as the opportunity to further their own interest in visual arts. The introduction of 'career choices' into training sessions has also increased their awareness of possibilities for careers in museums and galleries.

How are young people's progress and achievements measured, recorded and accredited?

The scheme is accredited for a bronze level award from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. National Museums Liverpool is also an approved Arts Awards Centre, set up by the Arts Council, which enables it to accredit the young people's involvement in the scheme.

What has changed for other young people, organisations or the wider community as a result of the project?

The involvement of junior guides has allowed the gallery to develop its appeal to a younger audience and become more responsive to their needs and interests. It has led to the creation of a summer course for young people at LLAG and plans to start a youth visual arts club. All participants in the programme are also given the opportunity to join the Youth Theatre Group, which meets at World Museum Liverpool. This increases their exposure to different museums and galleries and allows them to interact with other young people.

The possibility of the programme being used at other National Museums Liverpool venues has also been explored. Two of the trained junior guides visited the Walker Art Gallery to discuss the feasibility of this.

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS

How is the project evaluated and by whom?

Internal evaluation of young people's provision was carried out by LLAG staff in 2006.

What are the findings of any evaluations to date?

The evaluation process highlighted the success of the Art Present programme and a need to develop a more immersive learning experience for its participants, which satisfies the needs of the gallery.

What changes/developments have occurred as a result of evaluation?

A number of opportunities for change are being considered in preparation for the 2007 programme.

What has worked well and why?

Demand for the programme;
Opportunities to develop positive relationships with schools;
Initiative allows for the involvement of a wide range of gallery staff; and
Increased appeal of the museum for young people.

What has been difficult and why?

Communication with schools and participants is carried out largely through the post. Attempts have been made to gain persona contact information for guides through permission forms sent to all parents - where these are not returned it is difficult to maintain contact once the scheme is completed thus affecting the sustainability of the programme.
Maintaining full attendance at each training session.
Lack of time to fully develop the content of tours.
Use of taxis following training sessions proved a troublesome and unreliable way of organising transport for guides.

PARTNERSHIP AND STRATEGIC IMPACT

What does your organisation bring to partnership work?

The Learning division within National Museums Liverpool has an esteemed track record for creating relationships and partnerships with local schools and community groups. This includes the establishment of key stage networks, early years steering groups, and a focus on adult learning. Through this initiative the LLAG has built strong relationships with the local primary school, Church Drive Primary School, and two local secondary schools, Bebington High Sports College and Neston High School.

Has this partnership resulted in greater collaboration or increased understanding between partners?

The scheme provides an opportunity to develop positive relationships with local primary and secondary schools through the recruitment of junior guides and visits from their feeder primary schools. A member of staff from each school is invited to attend the weekly training sessions, providing additional support for the guides and an opportunity to network with museum staff.

Have you experienced any particular difficulties in partnership working?

Communication with teachers can be strained due to their unavailability during business hours. However, this has been overcome by using different methods and by gallery staff providing personal contact details.

Do you consider this project to be innovative?

This project is innovative as it does not just ask young people to volunteer at the gallery, but provides them with a skill set that can be used in their schooling and beyond. From Autumn 2007, it will also provide them with two forms of accreditation, allowing them to demonstrate their talent, dedication and commitment to higher educational institutions or future employers.

The involvement of local primary and secondary schools at a third party institution is also important to the programme so that all students can remember where they have come from and where they are going to.

How do you disseminate the learning from the project?

Examples include:

Presentation at HLF event to promote young volunteers in museums and galleries
Art Present model adopted by NADFAS as best practice for young people's involvement in museums and galleries
Celebration event to present certificates and acknowledge achievements of junior guides - teachers, friends, family and Wirral LEA all invited to attend
Feature in NADFAS national magazine as example of best practice

Has the learning from this work influenced wider organisational/service strategies?

National Museums Liverpool has been exploring the possibility of expanding this programme to other venues. The provision for young people has expanded at the LLAG this year as a direct result of Art Present and the enthusiasm of gallery staff.

What plans do you have to develop this work?

LLAG is currently looking at a number of opportunities to develop the Art Present initiative further including:

Improving the current training programme and providing a one-week intensive session in the summer to allow guides to provide activities for families during the holidays;
Running the programme twice per year to meet high demand;
Using trained junior guides as mentors for future participants;
Increasing the involvement of junior guides in family workshops at weekends and during school holidays;
Improving relationships with feeder primary schools;
Creating more specific tours for students from each of the secondary schools;
Improving communication with the junior guides through using text messaging and e-mails; and
Involving junior guides in special projects with local primary schools.

CONTACT DETAILS:

Lauren Gould, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight Village, Wirral CH62 5EQ. Tel: 0151 478 4143.

E-mail: lauren.gould@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Website: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever