As part of Little Big Bang, Take Art has introduced a Bursary Scheme aimed at providing training and professional development for artists and creative people seeking to develop and apply their skills to the Early Years sector in Education. See www.takeart.org for more about Little Big Bang.

Artists and creative individuals often possess a range of transferable skills and many of these skills go unnoticed. These can be used through increased opportunities for working with staff and children within Early Years and working in new creative ways. The Early Years sector can offer a free and open-ended approach to learning, a strategy which mirrors approaches to development often used by artists.

This can lead to a mutually beneficial and supportive relationship with the Early Years sector, where settings can receive help in delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and Artists can develop their practice and opportunities in new ways and with new partners.

The Bursary offers five Somerset based creatives (from all art forms) the opportunity to receive mentoring from experienced Early Years artists and to gain experience in taking part and delivering workshops in Early Years settings.

It comprises:

a free professional development day designed around the particular skills the creative can offer, led by two of the Little Big Bang artists
the opportunity to run three workshops in approved Early Years settings, one of which will be mentored
a final free session of response and reflection with the other bursary holders and the mentors
£150 bursary to cover expenses
possible inclusion in the Kindling database of artists trained for work within Early Years
membership of a network of supportive artists experienced in delivering high quality activities.

Applications
By email to kim@takeart.org by 5pm on 25th November with 'Take Art Early Years Bursary' in the subject line.

In your application please and include:

An outline in fewer than 250 words of why you are interested in this opportunity, including a one sentence indication of the sort of work you'd offer in an Early Years workshop
Up to four examples of your previous work (if relevant) in jpeg format and less than 1MB in size
An up-to-date CV

Previous experience is not essential as we are looking for inexperienced artists and creative people as well as those with some experience. These are welcomed from people offering any or a combination of art forms - performance, visual, digital.