A new blog by Arts Award Youth Network Project Manager, Emrys Green, sharing insights and ideas from his experience of doing and advising on Arts Award. Informal ramblings designed to give some useful information about how you can achieve your own Gold Arts Award.

If you read my first post, then you'll known that I have the privilege of managing the Arts Award Youth Network. We run events and activities to support young people interested in the arts and Arts Award.

Gold is about preparing you for the creative industries - in a way A levels don't often do (in my opinion). Keeping a broad cultural experience is exciting.

Outreach programmes and 'making art accessible' are not about belittling it, relying on 'amateur' work, or squeezing it into strange places.

Becky Bruzas completed her Bronze Arts Award at Carousel and is about to embark on her Silver for their project Curing Perfect, as part of Arts Award's 10 Month Pledge.

Well, here on Voice it's 'affordable art' month and I know that's handy after the Christmas splurge. For me it's not about the Boxing Day spend bonanza, or even the cost of presents. It's the cost of travel to see everyone and the meals out!

The team have covered numerous festivals which have all ranged in shape and style so much that what 'defines a festival' cannot be anything material. For me I think it must be about the passion and shared values of the audience & creators.

Want my job?...with Mozilla's Cassie McDaniel

Holly is the Lead Programmer of the WHYFest 2015 at the Southbank Centre. What is Happening for the Young is a festival aimed to create awareness of the rights of the youth and encourage them to use their voice. In this interview, Holly gives me an insight into her own career path and some of the highlights of this weekend.

As part of the What's Happening for the Young Festival that took place at the Southbank Centre this weekend, Subjectivity UK held a talk entitled "Crime and Punishment Vs. the Youth". This discussion incorporated performance and specialist speakers to look at issues inspired by an article from the UN Convention.

Neha has just joined the Youth Network as an Arts Award activist. She also studies Law at Brunel University.

Shannon has just joined the Youth Network as an Activist, and is currently working on her Gold Arts Award with Chichester Festival Theatre.