We will take you through some of the practical steps of working with an artist to ensure that you and your group gain the most from the experience. We will offer information and guidance on good project management. However, each project is unique so please be aware that you will need to consider how to manage your specific project and create your own plan accordingly.
There are many reasons for employing an artist, including facilitating a group to explore their own creativity or to learn a new skill. The value of employing artists in community and education settings to address social, educational and economic regeneration issues has been widely recognised. However, it should be remembered that artists are not community workers, social workers, teachers or youth workers. They will require appropriate support and possibly training from these professionals when working in challenging areas. What artists can offer, which is special and unique, is their own personal creativity and ways to help others explore theirs. Our creativity lies at the heart of who we are and how we relate to the world and, in exploring this, participants can realise their potential and gain self-confidence, insight and understanding.
In order to get the most out of working with an artist, it may be helpful to think about following steps you would take when employing a specialist consultant and applying good project management practices. A simple model to follow is:
- Establish a budget
- Write a project brief to send to artists
- Select your artist/s
- Organise a planning session with the artist/s and others involved
- Plan your evaluation at the start of the project
- From this, write a project plan
- Write a contract or letter of engagement for the artist attaching the project plan
- Start the project
- Evaluate the project as you go along
- Celebrate, evaluate and document your finished project as appropriate