'Gold' increases in value

There’s a new incentive for young people to gain an Arts Award.

The Level 3 Gold Arts Award has been recognised on the UCAS Tariff.

As a result, students who achieve a Gold Arts Award will be able to include it as they would do with other recognised qualifications when completing their UCAS application for a place at University, beginning with the 2011/12 academic year.

The Arts Award is a vocational qualification that aspires to support any young person aged between 11 – 25 to enjoy the arts and develop creative leadership skills. There are three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold and an Art Award can be gained through any art form – from poetry to theatre to rapping.

The Arts Award runs in England through a unique collaboration between Arts Council England and Trinity Guildhall. Nine Regional Development Co-ordinators support the award in each English region.

Arts Awards can be done wherever art is happening with young people, including youth clubs, arts centres, schools, colleges, theatres or community groups. In the North East alone there are thirty centres where young people can work towards gaining an Arts Award.

With the new recognition from UCAS, Achieving a Gold Arts Award will strengthen a young person’s application to higher education, sitting alongside and complementing other qualifications, such as A-levels.

The Gold Arts Award has been awarded 35 Tariff points by UCAS. This compares to AS Level qualification C Grade (40 points) and Music Theory Examinations Grade 8 Distinction (30 points).

Diana Walton, Head of Arts Award Development, Arts Council England says: ‘Carrying UCAS points is very important for the Gold Arts Award’s credibility as a qualification.  We hope this will encourage more young people to use Gold Arts Award to support their pathways into Higher Education.’

Trinity Guildhall, which is part of Trinity College, London offers accredited qualifications in the performing and creative arts.

UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service) manages applications for full-time undergraduate courses. Since its inception in 1993, UCAS has processed around 30 million applications and placed over 5 million students on higher education courses.