Barefoot is the Arts Education Partnership Agency for Plymouth, linking schools and artists and promoting arts education work of all kinds. We are supported by and based at University College Plymouth St Mark and St John and are core-funded by Arts Council England (SW) and Plymouth City Council

Barefoot is one of nine Arts Education Agencies across the Arts Council SW region.

Here are some examples of what we do:

• Help to link schools and artists, giving advice, information and training.
  We help source artists for school and youth projects, advise artists new to educational work and organise training opportunities such as the December 2007 ‘Arts Academy’ for artists new to education, in collaboration with Flameworks and Lipson Community College
• Run artist residences and projects.
  Barefoot manages artist workshops and residences, such as the Aim Higher-funded ‘Leaving Marks’ project in 2007 in collaboration with Plymouth College of Art and Design.
• Work to improve access to the arts for young people.
  Barefoot facilitates Master Classes at Plymouth College of Art and Design for young people as part of the Big Arts Festival.
• Work in partnership with the city to develop opportunities in arts education.
  Barefoot is managing the ‘Schools Partnership Project’, in collaboration with The National Trust, Lipson Community College and Hele’s School, which is exploring the creative potential of Saltram House.
• Promote and advise on national schemes such as Artsmark.
  Barefoot works closely with all types of schools, helping them develop their arts provision and make successful applications for the Artsmark award.
• Help set up specialist networking groups.
  Barefoot set up the Creative Training Partnership to audit and make accessible details of creative training opportunities locally.
• Help set up and support school arts weeks and festivals.
  Barefoot has run the annual Plymouth arts education festival, the Big Arts Festival, since 2000. We also work with schools, community groups and others to support arts weeks, or introduce creative activity into local festivals.
• Help city events link with artists and young people.
  Barefoot initiates projects and provides support and links between Plymouth Racial Equality Council, artists and schools for the annual Plymouth Respect Festival.
• Create opportunities to develop arts education across schools and communities.
  In 2008 Barefoot, working with a whole range of partner organisations, including schools, children’s centres, community groups and Extended Services, has initiated 5 community-focused celebrations of the arts which will take place in February under the ‘Art of the Community’ banner. Schools will be working together, generations will be creating together and artists will be working in the heart of communities.