Captivate leads a range of opportunities through key headings:
Ashfield Creates is a new 3-year programme designed to transform how everyone who lives, works and studies in Ashfield gets to access and participate in arts and creative activities.
Ashfield Creates: We are excited to announce our partnership with Ashfield Creates, a dynamic new three-year cultural programme launched this week in Ashfield.
With a £1 million grant from Arts Council England, this initiative brings together various organisations in collaboration with Ashfield District Council. The goal? To enhance arts and creative opportunities across the region as part of the Ashfield Arts Partnership.
Ashfield Creates' mission is to increase the number of arts and creative opportunities for everyone living, working, and studying in Ashfield. Through this initiative, we aim to help local residents discover their creative talents, empower local artists to thrive, and unite our communities through the power of creativity like never before.
Vanessa Oxspring, Captivate Partnership Manager, said: "We see this as a pivotal time for CYP and schools; enriching young people's creative lives by experiencing creativity and culture on their doorstep. We are excited about this investment which will boost our work in schools and educational settings with arts and culture".
We are thrilled to announce that we have secured Arts Council funding to support Captivate on its next two-year journey.
This is truly excellent news and a testament to the quality and value of the work we are doing. Captivate will continue to focus on the areas of Mansfield and Ashfield and develop its programme of partner-led activities for children inside and outside of schools. We are committed to driving our key development areas including research projects, Artsmark and Arts Award support at schools, heritage learning, Nottinghamshire schools membership, creative curriculum development, talent recognition and youth, voice and employability through 2024-26.
NTU Takeover Project Evaluation Report
NTU's latest Takeover Project Evaluation Report examines the impact of our 24-month arts and creative volunteering programme targeting young people aged 14-24 in Mansfield and Ashfield. The programme, led by Captivate and various partners, provided arts and cultural training to cohorts over the course of 10 weeks, and culminated with their final project, DepARTment Festival in March 2024.
NTU evaluated eight diverse cohorts using pre- and post-project surveys and interviews with artists, teachers, and project leaders. The resulting report showcases Takeover's positive impact on youth skills and confidence while also highlighting challenges related to reduced youth services and diverse educational contexts. Explore the full findings here.