Past Projects
Many examples of ATC's work with artists in the East Midlands can be found on Arts Council Englands "I Made It" Case Study Collection. To go directly to these, and other examples of the effective use of professional development by creative people and companies, click here.
Examples of previous ATC regional and national initiatives include:
•The Arts Training Programme: The first comprehensive programme of in-service short-course training in the UK for arts managers and administrators.
•STRAWS: An annual residential arts skills week for 150 community arts practitioners, with workshops led by some of the countries leading arts companies.
•The AMTF (Arts Management Training Forum) Conferences: Bi-annual national events sponsored by the Arts Council and the National Training Organisations for the arts, bringing together some of the UK’s leading planners and educators.
•Raising Standards: A national conference for Technical Directors and Production Managers in UK theatres.
•Words Out: Management of the 2001 Leicester Literature Festival.
•Netgain: As a delivery partner in a national ESF-funded programme, ATC developed a two year programme of customised support featuring over forty regional artists and companies including Phoenix Arts, Speakeasy Theatre Company and Transition Media Arts.
•ArtStart: An incubator programme with customised development support for artists and small arts organisations, including Leicester Comedy Festival, Metro Boulot Dodo Theatre Company, Apples and Snakes, and Locostandu Dance Company.
•Attachment: A customised programme of support for artists including the Ann Duggan band, Line Out, and the Bright Side.
•First Stage. A positive action development programme for Black and Asian young people. Six trainees on a year-long programme that includes placement element with regional theatres, action learning set, customised training plans and seminars, training courses and visits.
•Mainstream. ATC operated as programme executive for the Mainstream programme from 2001-06, before establishing it as a fully independent company with RFO status. Mainstream works to promote professional development among arts practitioners from culturally diverse communities to increase their prospects for income and employment, and brokers links between culturally diverse artists and support agencies in the region.
Headstart. The Headstart Programme, funded under ESF through EMDA, ran from September 2004 to November 2006, providing a comprehensive package on development support including diagnostic assessment, coaching, mentoring, and financial support with training to over ninety beneficiaries across the full spectrum of the Creative Industries in the East Midlands, meeting all its targets and recieving extensive praise from participants.
First Base. First Base took place over two years from Autumn 2004 providing short-term placement opportunities with creative companies in Leicestershire based around customised consultancy-based projects, devised by ATC in collaboration with the hosts and managed and delivered by the placement participants.
Gateway to Growth. Gateway to Growth was delivered in partnership with Derbyshire Learning and Skills Council between September 2004 and December 2006, as an action research project identifying for the first time the unique development and support provided for practitioners in the creative sector by self-selecting Learning Champions among their peers. The programme helped over 50 Learning Champions to clarify their role, and offered support seminars in skill areas such as Training Needs Analysis and learning techniques where they also could meet and network with others carrying out similar work. An intranet was established to provide an opportunity for them to share ongoing observations and experiences.
•Training Needs Analysis: numerous projects including the East Midlands Production Managers, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Argyll and Bute Venue Managers.
•Research Projects: Clients have included Scottish Opera (feasibility study), Chichester Town Council (audit of media training resources), Eastern Arts (venue mapping), and the Foundation for Community Dance (mentoring in dance).
•Commissioned Publications: Including “The Directory of Mime and Physical Theatre Training”; “Arts Workers and Their Boards of Development”; “How I Got Here”; “Creativity and Growth”.
© Arts Training Central (ATC) 2006
