“I was trying to paint the colour of darkness”: Shedding light on young people’s experiences of participatory arts projects in North-East secondary schools

Abstract

It is generally accepted that the arts play an important role in the social and cultural development of children and young people. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out “provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic and recreational and leisure activities” (UNCRC, 1989, Article 31) as a fundamental entitlement. However, there is limited consensus around what it is about the consumption or creation of art that is meaningful for children and young people. Given the public sector context of most arts activity involving young people, evaluation mechanisms tend to focus on the priorities of the state, funding body or arts organisation, rather than those participating in the activity. This means that young people’s participatory arts projects are framed in purely instrumental terms focusing on their perceived usefulness in relation to crime reduction, educational achievement, future employment, community cohesion and mental wellbeing. This research brings together sociological ideas about childhood, youth transitions and identity, combined with critical approaches to considering the contexts and processes that facilitate artistic expression, to provide alternative ways of thinking about the value of arts projects for young people. Combining ethnographic and visual methodologies, the research took place in three secondary schools in North-East England with young people aged 11- 14 taking part in varied arts projects. The school environment created a specific socio cultural context for the projects, shaping the ways that young people engaged with the creative process and the artworks that were produced. Assumptions about art and young people meant that key decisions about the creative process were made unreflexively and without acknowledging young people’s perspectives. The findings highlight the need to take a more holistic view that considers what is happening in young people’s lives before, during and after projects to ensure young people’s self expression is properly supported.