Family Friendly Initiative

All About The Family Friendly Initiative

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE FAMILY FRIENDLY INITIATIVE

The aim of the Initiative is to improve children and families' access to and participation in arts activities by encouraging and supporting Scottish art venues to be more child and family friendly.

Objectives

The objectives of the Initiative are :
* To increase awareness of the importance of becoming family friendly
* To provide practical support through information materials, training and networking opportunities to venue managers, promoters, marketers and others interested in family friendliness.
* To support organisations in auditing their family friendly activities and services, identify where improvements could be made and develop action-plans/strategies to make improvements
* To liaise with SAC to ensure that funding is available for specific family friendly initiatives.

WHAT DOES BEING FAMILY FRIENDLY MEAN?

The phrase 'Child and Family Friendly' is used as short-hand for a venue in which children and their families feel comfortable and welcomed. This 'friendliness' will be demonstrated in the physical space and its facilities, and in the attitude of the staff. A Child and Family Friendly Venue will also be a space in which work programmed and created for these groups can be seen to its best advantage without being compromised artistically.

Taken from a Reasearch Study Into A Network of Centres For Arts for Children and Young People in Scotland Sarah Argent, 2000.

WHAT WILL THE INITIATIVE DO?

The Initiative will provide practical support to venue managers, promoters, marketers, arts education staff and other people interested in family friendliness through the following:

Family friendly guidelines on all aspects of being child and family friendly.
Go to the resources page for more information.

Family friendly conferencesto enthuse venue staff to engage with the idea of becoming more family friendly and provide practical suggestions to take their family friendly ideas forward.

Go to the events page for more information.

Family friendly seminars To provide opportunities for professional development and sharing ideas - open to anyone interested and involved in running a family friendly arts venue or event.
Go to the events page for more information.

Family friendly ideas and good practice through information on case studies
See case study page for more information.

Family friendly assessment and support for organisations help for venues in identifying how family friendly you are, where improvements could be made and developing an action plan for change.
See the self-assessment checklist and action plan in the resources page for more information.

WHO IS THE INITIATIVE FOR?

The Family Friendly Initiative is for anyone involved in Scottish arts who has an interest in running, creating or marketing family friendly arts events and activities. All are welcome!

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

Join the mailing list To receive regular email updates on the Family Friendly Initiative including details of events and new guidelines, join the mailing list by clicking here.

Attend the family friendly conference and seminars
- Find out more here.

Submit an idea to include on the case study page
- Find out more here.