Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Melting Pot Arts set up the Academy?
We believe that everyone should be able to access high quality arts activities within their local community. Having worked across the North East we know that many people want to access arts activities but often find that they face barriers such as an audition process, expensive fees, transport problems or they simply aren't sure about the quality and reputation of the sessions.
We have set up the Academy to bring affordable, high quality, professionally led sessions to our home community. Based in Darlington we feel that whilst there are already some activities available we can enhance these by offering new and different opportunities.
Who is the Academy for?
The Academy is for anyone aged 8 - adult who wants to get involved with the arts. Everyone is welcome to come along and try out the sessions whether they are already experienced or have never tried before.
We do not have an audition process to join our groups. Our team are trained to work with a mixture of abilities and aim to help everyone develop through the sessions. We strive to meet the specific needs of each individual and we work closely with those who have particular needs to help them access the sessions.
We are happy to talk with anyone who is unsure about whether the Academy is for them and encourage people to come along and give it a go. We have 250 places available in different groups.
What are the sessions like?
Academy sessions are about being creative, meeting new people, trying new things and having lots of fun. All of our sessions take place in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and no one is pressured into doing anything they don't want to do. The focus of our sessions is creating a positive environment where everyone can gain confidence, learn new skills, achieve their personal best and take pride in the pieces that they produce.
Each group has a slightly different format due to the different art forms we cover. To find out more visit each group's page.
How will the Academy cater for different ages?
The Academy offers various sessions for different age groups. Some of the groups have quite large age ranges such as the 8+ groups. In these sessions the group leaders will offer a variety of activities within the session to cater for the needs of the different age groups and ensure that everyone is accessing the session at their level. We hope to increase the number of sessions on offer and split the age groups further to provide more places in the future. In the meantime we are confident that everyone who attends the sessions will be catered for as we are highly experienced in delivering sessions of this nature.
Who will run the sessions?
Our groups are led by a team of artists who are not only highly skilled in their own art form but are also experienced arts leaders. Our artists do not simply teach new skills, they facilitate the ideas of the groups, respond to individual needs and work with the group to develop sessions that are enjoyable for all. The artists lead the sessions with great energy and enthusiasm as they aim to pass on their passion for the art form to their groups.
Each group has a permanent leader who only misses sessions due to illness or unavoidable absences. This means that over time the groups build up excellent working relationships with our leaders, creating a fantastic rapport with the group.
The group leaders are supported in the sessions by arts assistants and also student volunteers. We believe that those just starting out in the arts should be given the opportunity to develop their skills. We work with students from aged 16 who have an interest in the art form or want to develop their leadership skills. Both assistants and students work with the support and guidance of the artist and receive training.
Melting Pot Arts is committed to ensuring the safety and comfort of all our participants. All of our staff and adult volunteers undergo a recruitment process which includes ensuring CRB checks are in place. Our staff receive Safeguarding the Arts training and follow strict safeguarding policies and procedures. To find out more about how Melting Pot Arts creates a safe environment for the Academy please click here.
Why are the fees so low?
Melting Pot Arts has set up this not-for-profit project as we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to access the arts. We endeavour to address all potential barriers to the arts including financial constraints.
Each group is set up on a tight budget which enables the sessions to be run to a high standard whilst also keeping the fees at a low rate. In order for the Academy to remain sustainable in the future we will work with the groups to address financial issues and work towards achieving funding wherever possible. Our Junk Drumming has already achieved funding for Spring 2008 which allows places to be provided for free. We hope that other groups will access funding in the future.