RAPS is a follow on to the Tracking Arts Learning and Engagement research. TALE was a three year case study based project which looked at the visual and performing arts in thirty secondary schools. The project was funded by Arts Council England and conducted in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Tate.

TALE results allowed us to think about some key attributes of what we came to think of as “arts rich schools”. We came to understand that arts rich high schools had arts-broker teachers at their heart and that they supported young people to become “cultural citizens” We understand cultural citizens to be young people who are critical, appreciative audiences as well as actively engaged and well-informed cultural producers.

The TALE book is coming in early 20213.

The TALE website has reports, videos, and some academic and professional publications and these are a helpful background to this project. RAPS will extend and test out the ideas and result developed through TALE. Apart from the age of the children, and the different workforce, facilities and curriculum organisation, there is also an important research design difference between the two projects – RAPS is a case control study. We hope that the addition of control schools, as well as continued use of the Taking Part survey as national comparison, will mean that this project is very trustworthy.

WE MADE 20 POSTCARDS FROM TALE DATA ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF ARTS EDUCATION – CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL ARTS EDUCATION WEEK 2021.

We are writing a book about cultural citizenship and the TALE project which will be published by Routledge in 2022.