Family Arts Networks
What are Family Arts Networks?
Family Arts Networks are a way for local organisations to work together to share learnings, provide a wide range of quality family arts experiences, reach more family audiences, engage with more diverse families and better understand their needs. The Family Arts Campaign has fostered the creation of Local Family Arts Networks with a place-based and collaborative emphasis, focussing on specific regional knowledge and sharing insights, resources and skills.
We currently have 14 Networks and are always delighted to support the creation of new Networks!
Why be a part of a Network?
Being part of a Family Arts Network opens up opportunities to support your work for family audiences. This includes:
● Know-how:
Learning and sharing knowledge and expertise with others in your local area.
● Funding Opportunities:
Collaborating to access funding sources, that may not be otherwise available as a single organisation.
● First Access:
Receive first access to Family Arts Campaign resources, conferences and training events. These include an annual Leadership Symposium and Family Arts Campaign Conference, featuring leading industry speakers and training opportunities.
● Insights:
Better understanding issues and barriers with local family engagement and family needs.
● Reaching diverse families
Forming partnerships with community-based organisations to reach more diverse families.
● Demonstrating your commitment to quality:
Network members benefit from becoming a Family Arts Campaign Standard holder and branding to demonstrate your commitment to fantastic family experiences.
● Community:
Connecting with other professionals passionate about quality arts provisions for families.
● Cross-promotions:
Joint marketing and promotions. Creating cross-venue offers or family “bundles”.
● Collaborations:
Co-creating family arts provisions from collaborating on projects and activities to co-producing events.
Thinking of joining or creating a Network?
If you would like to join an existing Network, create a new one local to you or simply have any questions, email Anna on anna.dever@thealbany.org.uk for more information.
What kind of organisations can be part of a Network?
Each Network is made up of six or more ‘local’ organisations, you define what ‘local’ means in your context – it could be down the road or the other side of the county! Networks can include both arts and non-arts organisations, of all sizes. All art forms are welcome, but we ask that at least two different art forms are represented in each Network.
We understand that partnerships between arts and non-arts organisations* can be an important step towards reaching families of all backgrounds. We’ve also found that being part of an official group of organisations can strengthen existing relationships with local arts and non-arts organisations.
*By ‘arts’ organisations we mean cultural organisations whose work focuses on art forms, which includes museums and libraries. By ‘non-arts’, we mean organisations that do not solely focus on creative activities. These partners can include local councils, schools, community and faith groups, social clubs etc.
Curious to know more?
If you’d like to hear more about what it’s like to be part of a Local Family Arts Network, check out this video with Kathryn Tye, the previous Network Co-ordinator for the Sunderland Family Arts Network.
You can also discover more in her blogpost about the network…
Network Ambassador Programme
We work with five Family Arts Network Ambassadors in Bristol, Cumbria, Sunderland, Manchester and the North East region.
Ambassadors work with the central team at the Family Arts Campaign to build upon community relationships in their Networks and further encourage family engagement. In addition, the regional Ambassadors work together nationally to share best practice for dissemination through the Family Arts Campaign national learning programme and resources.
Image credits:
Last Image – Children’s Scrapstore