DCMS Jerwood Creative Bursaries Scheme
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Leah Bartczak, Stella Odunlami, Ed Vaizey, Ryan Murray, Grace Denton and Hannah Clarke-Stamp at the
Leah Bartczak, Stella Odunlami, Ed Vaizey, Ryan Murray, Grace Denton and Hannah Clarke-Stamp
Antony Mottershead Arts Development Assistant Grizedale Forest
Antony Mottershead. Arts Development Assistant at Grizedale Forest
The arts sector is notoriously hard to break into at the start of your career and the common practice of offering unpaid internships as a main entry point effectively excludes those who are not in a position to work for free. By providing paid placements for recent graduates at the start of their careers, the DCMS Jerwood Creative Bursaries Scheme opened up arts careers to a wider group of people, in the process creating a more diverse and more vibrant work force. Funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Arts Council England (ACE), the Scheme has been designed and managed by the Jerwood Foundation and Jerwood Charitable Foundation and ran from August 2010 to March 2012.
Download the report on the DCMS Jerwood Creative Bursaries Scheme:
Placements
42 recent graduates undertook bursary placements lasting between six and twelve months, recruited through open application according to financial and academic eligibility criteria. Placements were with host arts organisations from across England, selected for the excellence of their work and their ability to offer the most inspiring placements in a wide range of jobs in the arts. Alongside their placement, recipients were supported by mentoring and structured networking opportunities.
Careers in the arts
The Scheme has proved highly effective at giving bursary recipients the very best start. 90% (38 out of 42) are employed in the arts at the conclusion of the pilot and 60% (25 out of 42) of hosts extended their recipients’ contracts either permanently or temporarily
Job Creation
The Scheme has enabled successful host organisations to increase their capacity where they most needed it and at a critical time for many in their own development. 33% (14) of the bursary recipients are now permanent employees within the host organisation, a direct benefit of the Scheme.
Future
The Scheme has had a significantly positive impact, achieving not only what it set out to do – opening up access to careers in the arts – but also enriching the sector with a strong network of future leaders. Our aim is to create long-term change in these areas with the right partners and to develop the Scheme’s future beyond the end of the pilot period in March 2012.
Download more information about the key points of the Scheme.
For all enquiries about the Scheme please e-mail Kate Danielson, Director of the Scheme, or telephone her on 07815 736156.
