About Carclew Youth Arts

Carclew Youth Arts is South Australia's peak arts body for people aged 26 and under. Carclew transforms and nourishes creative minds, daring young people to strive for new ideas and opportunities. It impacts the present and ignites the future, connecting children and young people as artists and audiences to a world of possibilities.

Carclew Youth Arts' Board was previously known as the South Australian Youth Arts Board, or SAYAB.

Carclew's work includes:

• Funding programs for youth arts organisations working with children and young people
• Grants for arts projects and the development of young artists
• Scholarships and awards for exceptional arts practice
• Training and professional development for young artists, youth arts practitioners and youth arts organisations
• Programs and projects that encourage community participation in the arts
• Arts and education initiatives
• Youth arts advocacy

Vision

South Australia is known nationally for the exceptional arts and cultural environment and outstanding creative experiences available to children and young people.

Mission

Carclew Youth Arts is responsible for policy, funding and strategic initiatives that nourish the artistic and cultural lives of South Australian children and young people 26 years and under.

Carclew’s Mission is at all times informed by Carclew’s Guiding Principles.

Goals

Goal One: Industry Development

Support the needs of youth arts in South Australia and promote its pivotal role in the development of the broader arts industry.

Carclew Youth Arts:

• Advocates for strong government and non-government support for youth arts
• Develops independent young artists and artsworkers
• Ensures festivals and arts organisations deliver high quality arts experiences for children and young people
• Encourages artistic innovation and risk taking

Goal Two: Arts and Education

Promote and support the arts as both a curriculum area and a learning methodology for South Australian schools and communities.

Carclew Youth Arts:

• Advocates the importance of children’s and young people’s experiences as artists and audience in both their formal education and social development
• Initiates strategies for live performance and workshops across all genres of the arts in schools
• Supports training and development for artists and educators

Goal Three: Community

Engage with communities to explore and understand the value of the arts for all young South Australians, ensuring creative pathways and experiences are accessible to all.

Carrclew Youth Arts:

• Actively involves children and young people in planning, decision making and creative expression
• Supports programs that address issues relating to diversity or disadvantage
• Creates sustainable partnerships with artists, families, communities and cultural organisations
• Promotes and celebrates children and young people’s achievements in the arts

Goal Four: Governance and Management

Aspire to manage and govern the business of the organisation to the highest industry standards.

Carclew Youth Arts:

• Manages finances well and within budget
• Adheres to sound governance practices
• Employs effective management practices within the organisation
• Models and supports sound operations and governance within the youth arts sector

Operations

Carclew Youth Arts undertakes the following strategies and initiatives:

• Funding programs for youth arts organisations in communities
• Funding for Patch Theatre and AFYP (Come Out)
• Grants for arts projects and the development of young artists
• Scholarships and Awards
• Training and professional development initiatives
• Community access initiatives
• Arts and education initiatives
• Communications and advocacy
• Marketing and sponsorship
• Intergovernmental relations

Guiding Principles

We Believe…

A vibrant arts sector underpins a healthy, open, contemporary society. An energised, growing and sustainable youth arts community, which spans all art forms and delivers quality outcomes for children and young people 26 and under, is vital to ensure the future cultural, social, intellectual and economic wellbeing of South Australia.

Arts for learning

An arts rich childhood improves literacy, numeracy, social skills and personal development. Arts experience is also vital in the acquisition by young people of skills and knowledge, thereby enhancing their employment opportunities, providing pathways into the Creative Industries and profound social and economic benefits.

Arts for identity

The arts stimulate imagination, generate capacity and energy and offer new ways of experiencing the world. Involvement in the arts helps children and young people develop confidence, a strong sense of identity and self esteem and provides opportunities for cultural expression and celebration.

Arts for future

South Australian Youth Arts, across all art forms for children and young people 26 and under, contributes towards children’s and young people’s understanding of the cultural forces that help shape their world. It also provides engagement and avenues for artistic expression with issues relevant to young people such as the environment and sustainability.

Arts for life

Arts experiences cultivate and nourish children’s and young people’s creative, intellectual and communication skills and capacities, enabling them to participate as constructive members of contemporary Australian society.

Arts for all

The Youth Arts sector spans the development from childhood to young adulthood, and includes young parents and carers of children. The sector is diverse, inclusive and acknowledges differences in gender, cultural background, socio-economic status, geographic location, interests and levels of ability.

Arts for health and wellbeing

The Youth Arts Sector contributes to reducing social isolation and discrimination by bringing together young people from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Engagement in the arts increases young people’s cognitive, social and personal skills for life, thus increasing their wellbeing and health.