Somerset House Engagement & Skills
In 2021-22 I was the external evaluator for Upgrade Yourself: Kickstart – a programme offering six-month placements for 18-24 year olds in resident organisations across Somerset House. Utilising the Government’s Kickstart scheme, this programme ran in conjunction with Westminster City Council and was aimed at applicants in receipt of Universal Credit. Host organisations are Agency Inc, Factory 42, Fuel, Live Music Now, Loop Music Ltd, Mighty Productions, Royal Society of Literature and Somerset House Enterprises Ltd. This work followed on from my evaluation of the Creative Careers Academy programme at Somerset House in 2020.
Findings from the evaluation are used in my article Hustling, hybridity and changing attitudes to work in the arts for Engage 46: Generation Z and the Future of Creative Work.
In 2021 I also worked alongside the Engagement & Skills team at Somerset House to collaboratively develop their evaluation framework and methodologies for each of their programme strands. Following the delivery of some in-house training I also produced in-depth and easy read guides to approaching evaluation for staff and programme participants.