Artsmark is evolving

Artsmark is evolving and we’re inviting you to come along with us.

Artsmark has always been about recognising and championing schools that place arts and culture at the heart of education. As we move into a new chapter, we’re building a programme that is more flexible, more supportive and better equipped to help schools showcase the incredible work they do. 

On this page, you’ll find an overview of what’s changing, why we’re making these changes and what it means for schools. We’ve also included detailed FAQs to help answer any questions you may have. If you have any questions that aren’t answered below, please get in touch with the Artsmark team by emailing artsmark@artscouncil.org.uk.

Why is Artsmark changing? 

At Artsmark, we want every young person to develop their creative potential and benefit from a high-quality arts and cultural education at school. We know schools, teachers and teaching staff lie at the heart of achieving this.

Over the past year, we’ve listened carefully to feedback from schools to understand how Artsmark can provide even better support, helping more schools strengthen and sustain arts and cultural education now and for the future. 

How we collected feedback 

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback over the last year. We’ve held focus groups and interviews with teachers. We also heard from a wide range of Artsmark schools through online surveys.  

What we heard

We heard four key clear messages: 

1. Artsmark as an award is valued and schools want to be recognised for their commitment to excellence within arts and cultural learning.
2. Artsmark needs to be more flexible and easier to engage with. 
3. There’s a need for tailored training and development.  
4. You want more opportunities to connect as an Artsmark community.

What  we’re doing 

We’re moving away from a one-size-fits-all Artsmark Award. Instead of registering for a fixed two-year programme, schools will have the flexibility to reflect on their current arts and cultural offer, identify areas for development, and make improvements at their own pace. When you feel ready, you can apply for an Artsmark Award. 

How will the new Artsmark work?

In response to what we have heard from schools, we’re redesigning Artsmark around two key strands, Award and Strengthen. Schools will be able to move between the strands flexibly depending on what would be most helpful for you and your school. 

The Artsmark Framework will remain at the heart of our offer. Schools will be able to use the framework to check where they are now, gather evidence of their provision, decide what to strengthen and apply for their Artsmark Award when they are ready. 

The new Award strand will remain the same investment of £500 per school, or £250 for schools with fewer than 100 pupils. This includes support towards making your Award application.  

Our Strengthen strand will allow schools to access tailored support prior to enrolling for and paying for an Artsmark Award. Schools will only be charged for what they choose to access within the Strengthen strand.

Our two strands are: 

Award

• The Artsmark Award strand recognises the quality, ambition and commitment behind your school’s arts and cultural provision.
• Our panel of assessors will review your arts and cultural provision against the Artsmark Framework, provide constructive feedback, and recognise your achievements with an Artsmark Award.
• You will no longer need to evidence a two-year development journey or submit a Statement of Commitment before being assessed. Instead, schools will submit evidence tied to the Artsmark Framework using an updated assessment application form that will allow you to tell us about your current provision and its impact.
• To help schools in submitting their Award application, we will provide an Artsmark Award Guidance Pack and Prepare for your Award session.
• We hope this makes achieving Artsmark feel less process heavy, while still celebrating high-quality arts and cultural provisions.
• Starting in Spring 2027, there will be an enrolment window at the start of each half term. Schools will have up to one and a half terms from enrolling for the Award to then submit their Artsmark application. Schools will receive their Artsmark Award no later than the end of the following term after submission. 
• Each Artsmark Award will still last for two years. After 12 months since receiving your award, you can reapply to be assessed for your next award when you’re ready.

Strengthen

• This strand will be launched in Autumn 2027 and will help schools to use the framework to understand their current provision and strengthen specific areas of practice.
• This will include tailored guidance, resources and support based on the Artsmark Framework, to help schools develop and enhance their arts and cultural provision.
• Schools will also have access to a new self-audit tool and free one-to-one support from the Cultural Education Network, offering guidance and practical next steps linked to the Artsmark Framework. This can help you set priorities, plan improvements and decide if and when you’d like to apply for an Artsmark Award.

All schools enrolled for an Artsmark Award will be able to join our Connect opportunities. We are developing sessions to share practice, build networks and learn from a vibrant community of like-minded schools. We will be launching further Connect opportunities from Autumn 2027.