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Employer Engagement in the Arts Sector

Page history last edited by Martin Cordiner 15 years, 1 month ago


Core definition

Using the LSDA typology of employer engagement, our synthesis addresses two ways in which employers in the arts sector work with higher education:

- as stakeholders: involved in the design, delivery and/or assessment of learning;

- as strategic partners: there is sustained interaction between employers and the providers of learning.

 

Explanatory context

This synthesis has been developed from PALATINE's awareness of and extensive recent project work in the area of the relationships between teaching in higher education and employment and enterprise in the arts sector. It aims to enhance the understanding of policy developers and practitioners within higher education institutions, to further develop policy and practice on employer engagement.

The synthesis considers approaches to work based learning and employer/industry engagement in a sector where the demand side is always problematic because, compared to other industrial sectors, there is a relative lack of the large arts companies which would be needed to invest in higher education, to create a market for new initiatives and to introduce work-related learning opportunities.

The sector tends to be 'short-term' and reactive, opportunistic in recruitment and skills training because structurally the sector is based on a predominance of SMEs and freelance working.

The nature of the labour market in this sector raises the issue of how will the Leitch Review (2006) concept of 'employer-led demand' shaping post-compulsory education be accommodated?

 

Key research reports

Burns, S. (2007), Mapping Dance: Entrepreneurship and Professional Practice in Dance Higher Education.

This report maps the scale of dance provision in the higher education sector with particular reference to how this provision develops employability and entrepreneurial skills in the student dancer. It seeks to quantify and clarify what is currently being offered and, through this, to identify good practice.

http://www.palatine.ac.uk/files/Publications/723.pdf

 

Hughes, M. and Smeaton, B., 'Exploring Employers' Perceptions of Employer Engagement' (2006)

This report brings together findings from LSDA research projects on employer engagement, exploring demand-side issues from the perspective of employers. Employers and Sector Skills Councils were consulted on what would support high-quality employer engagement, and on their expectations of the service provided by education providers. Sector specific perspectives includes Media (creative industries).

https://www.lsneducation.org.uk/user/order.aspx?code=062675&src=XOWEB

 

Literature reviews

 

Moreland, N. (2005), 'Work-related learning in higher education', Learning and Employability Series Two, The Higher Education Academy

http://www.palatine.ac.uk/files/emp/1273.pdf 

 

Practical applications

 

Sector Skills Council

http://www.ccskills.org.uk/

This is the sector skills council for the arts and creative industries sector. Nearly 40% of HEIs have a strategic relationship with Creative & Cultural

Skills (KSA Partnership (2006), p. 17).

 

Research Council Projects

Fellowship in the Impact of Higher Education on the Creative Industries (Dr Calvin Taylor, School of Performance and Cultural Industries, University of Leeds)

http://www.ahrb.ac.uk/about/ke/evaluation/activities/summaries/fellowship_in_the_impact_of_higher_education_on_the_creative_industries.asp

The project has combined case study methodologies (including interviews with academic, academic managers and industrial collaborators) with a thorough literature search in the areas of knowledge transfer, the creative industries, innovation and their dynamic relationships. This project is one of a number of initiatives being supported by the AHRC in the fields of impact evaluation and knowledge transfer. 

 

CETLs

Case Studies of Industry partnerships - Artswork at Bath Spa University

http://www.artsworkbathspa.com/industry/case-studies.htm

 

Mentored work experience in the music industry - Centre for Excellence in Dynamic Career Building for Tomorrow's Musician at the Royal Northern College of Music

http://www.rncm.ac.uk/content/view/231/135/

 

Realistic Work Environments - Centre for Employability Through the Humanities (CETH) at the University of Central Lancashire

http://www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/class/cfe/ceth/rwe.html

 

Foundation Degrees in the Creative and Cultural Industries and their role in training for a predominantly freelance labour market.

Foundation degrees are seen as an effective way of combining practical workbased experience with the necessary underpinning theory. While major employers such as national supermarket chains and the National Health Service have been involved in the development of Foundation Degrees, with students on those courses expecting to subsequently use the qualification to obtain jobs with these large employers, the comparative lack of large-scale

employers in the arts has led to very different approaches to Foundation Degrees and alternative models for work based learning.

 

Some illustrative examples of the approaches to engagement and work based learning in this sector are:

 

Foundation Degree in Street Arts Performance (City College, Brighton

University) http://www.ccb.ac.uk/public/downloads/street-arts-performance-foundation-degree.pdf

 

This course is the first of its kind at a UK university, providing a training opportunity for the creative artist interested in making work for outdoor, site specific and community performance. It has been developed in conjunction with local arts festival promoters, companies and community arts organisations who offer workplace opportunities throughout the course.

 

Foundation Degree in Community Arts 

http://www.west-cheshire.ac.uk/modules/prdb/show_pr.asp?pr_id=182&id=536

 

This course has been developed by the Community Arts Learning Foundation for Merseyside and West Cheshire College. Students participate in relevant and real life community arts practice with CALF members.

 

Higher Education Academy funded projects

Creating Future-Proof Graduates, Birmingham City University

http://www.moodle.uce.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=541&MoodleSession=5d72dc3552232c44fb3688af2b741a4b

Birmingham City University is pioneering a project aiming to create the UK’s first ‘future-proof’ graduates. The project is funded by the university and the Higher Education Academy and will help develop innovative teaching resources, such as case studies and scenarios, using a mixture of video, IT and the Virtual Learning Environment Moodle. These resources will form a staff development tool for lecturers across the whole FE and HE sector who can then pass them on to students. They will be equally useful for students in any discipline. They will also be used by employers to support new recruits.

 

HEFCE Higher Level Skills Pathfinder Regional Projects http://www.nwua.ac.uk/pathfinder/

In Autumn 2006, HEFCE agreed to fund three Higher Level Skills pathfinder projects to explore and embed shared strategies for higher education (HE) provision and workforce development skills between HE providers and employers. One of the initiatives funded by the North West Pathfinder is the Cultural Leadership CPD at Liverpool John Moores University. http://www.nwua.ac.uk/pathfinder/funded_projects_creative_and_digital_industries.aspx

 

This project will develop a partnership based, employer led approach to CPD provision in leadership and management for the Creative and Cultural sector. The proposed project will entail the development of content and pilots that will test the content, approach and knowledge transfer between the sector and LJMU. Partners / employers will include Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Everyman Playhouse, Mando Group, Non Conform Design Ltd, Morris Hargreaves McIntyre, Tate Liverpool, Bluecoat, FACT, Liverpool Biennial and the Liverpool Culture Company. Of particular relevance to the development of this programme, is the fact that the cultural sector is notable for a total lack of career structure except in the area of arts management, where there is currently a lack of highly qualified and experienced leaders to take on the principal posts and running of the major performance and exhibition venues, orchestras, galleries, theatre and opera companies. The proposed programme has been scoped within the context of demand from employers for higher level skills provision. The target audience for the programme will be practicing managers and employees of creative and cultural organisations who are seeking to build on their experience to develop skills and accelerate or change careers. These managers may be sole traders engaged in managing their own enterprises or they may be employees or owners of larger organisations.

 

Other Projects

Dance Placement

http://www.surrey.ac.uk/Dance/undergraduate/professional-placements.html

The University of Surrey offers a unique 4-year degree programme that has a Professional Training Period of 30 weeks enabling students to students work at a host organisation within the dance sector. 

 

Bibliography

Burns, S. (2007), Mapping Dance: Entrepreneurship and Professional Practice in Dance Higher Education, http://www.palatine.ac.uk/files/Publications/723.pdf

 

Hughes, M. and Smeaton, B., 'Exploring Employers' Perceptions of Employer Engagement' (2006)

https://www.lsneducation.org.uk/user/order.aspx?code=062675&src=XOWEB

 

Moreland, N. (2005), 'Work-related learning in higher education', Learning and Employability Series Two, The Higher Education Academy http://www.palatine.ac.uk/files/emp/1273.pdf 

 

Taylor, C., 'Developing Relationships between higher education, enterprise and innovation in the creative industries' in Henry, C. (ed.) Entrepreneurship in the Creative Industries – an international perspective, 2007 (Edward Elgar, ISBN 184542610X/9781845426101), 178-196.

 

Other relevant portals or websites

Arts Entrepreneurship Educator's Network

http://www.ae2n.net/index.htm

Arts Management Network

http://www.artsmanagement.net/

Centre for Creative Business

http://www.centreforcreativebusiness.org/

Creative Industries Observatory

http://www.creativeindustriesobservatory.com/

Creative Regions

http://www.creative-regions.org.uk

Cultural Enterprise (Scotland)

http://www.culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk/website/

HEFCE South West pathfinder Creative Industries website

http://www.expertsouthwest.com/text/27/creative_industries.html

HEFCE North West pathfinder Creative Industries website

http://www.nwua.ac.uk/pathfinder/downloads_creative_and_digital_industries.aspx

London Centre for Arts and Cultural Enterprise

http://www.lcace.org.uk/home.php

PALATINE

http://www.palatine.heacademy.ac.uk

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