Circuit Programme Handbook

Circuit Programme Handbook

Contents p.3 Introduction p.4 Circuit Values and Aims Circuit team p.5 Circuit Evaluation Circuit Governance Circuit Reporting p.6 Circuit Marketing and Press Circuit Brand p.7 Circuit Communications Circuit Digital Platform

Introduction Circuit is a four year national programme connecting 15 25 year olds to the arts in galleries and museums working in partnership with the youth and cultural sectors. Led by Tate and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, it provides opportunities for young people to steer their own learning and create cultural activity across art disciplines. Circuit involves Tate Modern and Tate Britain; Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives and partners from the Plus Tate network: firstsite, Colchester; MOSTYN, Llandudno; Nottingham Contemporary; Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester; and Wysing Arts Centre and Kettle s Yard, Cambridgeshire. Circuit involves: 1 Tate Modern and Tate Britain; Tate Liverpool; Tate St Ives; and partners from the Plus Tate network: 2 firstsite, Colchester; 3 MOSTYN, Llandudno; 4 Nottingham Contemporary; 5 Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester 6 Wysing Arts Centre and Kettle s Yard, Cambridgeshire. Whitworth Art Gallery 5 1 Tate 3 Liverpool Nottingham 4 Contemporary Wysing Arts Centre and 6 Kettle s Yard firstsite 2 MOSTYN Tate Modern Tate Britain 1 Tate St Ives 1 3

Circuit Values and Aims Circuit is a high visibility programme designed as a catalyst for change. The core values and aims underpin all strategy, planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation. They were developed in collaboration with the partner galleries, led by the Circuit National Evaluation Team. Circuit Core Values Making a positive difference Young people s ownership, agency and authenticity Social, cultural and creative diversity Circuit Core Aims To make a positive difference with and for young people To improve access and opportunities for harder to reach young people through extending and developing sustainable networks between the arts and youth sector To develop and change practice within and across cultural organisations To change attitudes and behaviours towards and about young people In addition, each core aim has a number of sub-aims with an associated series of objectives, outcomes, indicators, outputs and evidence, as detailed in the Circuit Evaluation Framework 1. Circuit Programme There are four main delivery strands, developed directly from the aims, which each partner works towards and reports against. The strands are designed to interlink and impact on each other, not exist as separate programmes of activity, in order to facilitate marginalised young people to actively contribute, participate and benefit from all strands. Central to activity is work with art and artists as a means to create connections via informal learning and young people s own cultural experiences. This model has been developed over a number of years, based on Tate s vision and work with young people outside of mainstream education. It recognises that a successful programme, one that has real impact on young people s lives, needs to offer varied entry points, differing levels of support and progression, the ability to influence the arts organisation in a visible and tangible way, the role of visual art as a catalyst to expression and production across art disciplines and a co-learning environment nurtured by participating artists and gallery staff. Strand 1: Profile and Engagement Festival A high profile festival (or similar) event for and by young people aged 15 25 years (1 per partner in one of the 4 years), attracting up to 3,000 young people at each site. Strand 2: Embedding work with young people Peer Led A sustained programme of peer-led projects engaging up to 50 young people per annum for four years. Strand 3: Building Sustainable Networks Partnerships Development of new relationships with up to 4 local youth organisations leading towards project activity engaging up to 20 young people per annum in years 3 and 4. Strand 4: Reaching Wider Audiences Digital Development of new digital content to empower and engage young people, and share practice across the gallery education sector. Circuit Team Each gallery has appointed new staff to deliver the programme, as outlined in the Circuit team diagram 2. A national team based cross-site at Tate Modern and Tate Britain is also in place to support all sites and oversee the programme as follows: Circuit National Lead Mark Miller: mark.miller@tate.org.uk Circuit National Manager Marina Castledine: marina.castledine@tate.org.uk Circuit Assistant Laura Nash Circuit Digital Coordinator Hannah Kemp-Welch Plus the following freelance staff: Circuit Critical friend Roz Hall Circuit Evaluator Angela Diakopoulou Circuit Marketing Consultant Rachel Escott Circuit Press Consultant Liz Flanagan 1: Please refer to Circuit Evaluation Framework (see p.5) 2: Please refer to Circuit Staff Structure 4

Circuit Evaluation Research and evaluation are crucial to the programme aims. A range of data will be captured using different methods; from on and off line surveys to understand profile, motivation, demographic, satisfaction and learning experience of audiences at key events; to critical debate though the digital platform, encouraging participation from wider sector colleagues, stimulated by young people s work and Circuit staff published blog posts. Circuit Young Evaluators Key to this process are young people at all stages, but especially through the creation of a national team of young evaluators selected from each gallery s core young people s group. Through a series of national workshops and training events, they will develop tools to evaluate individual progression, support the programme aims and ensure young people s voice remains central to the programme. Circuit Evaluation Framework The Circuit Evaluation Framework 1 is intended as an overview of how to organise, plan and gather qualitative and quantitative evidence. It does the following: Outlines evidence that needs to be gathered, relating to all programme aims and objectives. Indicates dialogue that needs to take place for meaningful reflection, amongst all involved, to nurture a shared and explicit understanding of what is happening in the programme and the effect of the programme. Shows the different roles involved in evidence gathering and monitoring of the framework. Circuit National Evaluation Team The whole evaluation process is overseen by a national team that meet regularly, consisting of the following Tate staff: Circuit National Lead, Circuit National Manager, Head of Research and Practice and external staff: Circuit Critical friend and Circuit Evaluator. When appropriate, they will be joined by additional staff including consultants, researchers and young people. In addition Tate and Nottingham University are running a Collaborative Doctorate. The PhD student will research partnership working and impact between the arts and youth sector, using Circuit as a case study. Circuit Practice Sharing Sessions Each year of the programme, two all day events will be arranged to share, debate and develop practice across all partners and activity strands. Led by the national evaluation team, but in collaboration with partners, the focus for each session will be determined by current issues, allowing a critical but safe space to consider local challenges and national priorities. Documentation and findings from these events will inform the programme development and be accessible via the digital platform. Circuit Governance Partners report on the performance of the programme to a national Circuit Steering Group that includes a representative from each gallery plus additional departmental staff. Meeting every two months, they are accountable to a national Circuit Board 3 that meets twice a year and oversees the performance of the programme, including financial monitoring and includes Tate Directors, Trustees and external members. In addition each partner has signed a Memorandum of Understanding 4, which outlines the aims of the programme, reporting and financial process and other legalities. Circuit Reporting Tate works with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, who sits on both the Board and Steering Group, to ensure the programme is meeting its aims and objectives. An interim reporting point is scheduled in September each year and a full report is required each April. Partners complete a bi-monthly activity report 5 that forms the basis of Steering meeting discussion, plus a finance report twice a year prior to the Board meetings. To support partners the Circuit National Manager offers monthly phone meetings and both the Circuit National Lead and Manager visit each partner at least once a year. 6 1: Please refer to Circuit Evaluation Framework 3: Please refer to Circuit Governance 4: Please refer to Circuit MOU 5: Please refer to Circuit Reporting Process 6: Please refer to Circuit National Meeting Overview Y1 5

Circuit Marketing and Press Through consultation with partners it was identified that specialist support to profile and market the programme on a local and national scale was essential. A marketing consultant will offer a programme of both national skills sharing and individual advice, alongside a press consultant whose responsibility is to develop the national profile of the programme. The aim is to offer a balance between: Initial strategy setting and identification of compelling messages (using both national and local profile) Co-learning and skills sharing between partners Subject specific training in areas of identified need across the group 1:1 (gallery specific) support The preparation, planning and training will largely take place early on, so partners can use the insights to build youth audiences towards a successful festival rather than apply new skills and approaches only at the festival itself. The Press Consultant will also support the national profile of the programme, though sector-related articles and coverage. Circuit Brand The Circuit brand 7 was created by Tate Design in consultation with young people from Tate Collective London. Two design options were presented for feedback to the Circuit Steering Group before final approval from the Board and funder. All activity enabled by the grant must be clearly identified, as specified in the Circuit: Brand Guidelines. Whilst gallery partners remain responsible for meeting these requirements, materials are also signed off by the Circuit national team. 7: Please refer to Circuit Brand Guidelines 6

Circuit Communications A Basecamp account is being used by all partners to communicate, share and access key information on the programme. Partners are able to see all national meetings for the year in the shared calendar, plus agendas and minutes from key meetings. Everyone is invited to use the space to add thoughts, mind maps, generate discussion, upload research and as an alternative to communicating via email. In addition, a dropbox file sharing account enables sharing and storage of large video, audio and image files. Circuit Digital Platform After a scoping exercise to learn more about each partner s existing and intended online activity, a website has been developed to support the sharing and evaluation of the programme. Key Circuit staff will regularly publish posts and the Circuit Digital Coordinator will curate and connect content produced both by young people and developed specifically to support the programme and wider sector practice. Young people, especially the Young Evaluator s team, will also be able to feedback and share opinion. https://circuit.tate.org.uk/ Note: This handbook has been produced in Year 1 of the programme, to support both existing and new partners and staff, gain an overview of Circuit. It pulls together, but does not replace key documents, which should be read alongside this handbook for a fuller insight into practice and methodology. The handbook will be updated as required. Please contact the National Manager for further information. 7