Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries: case studies from a decade of supporting the next generation of artists from lower socio-economic backgrounds

Abstract

Since 2010 the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme has supported 124 practitioners, recent graduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds, at 110 arts organisations across the UK to kick-start their careers. This practice-based review shares four Fellow case studies from the past decade, reflecting on their experiences with the programme and their journeys in the arts since. Reproducing first person accounts gives a visceral and direct insight into the impact policy-driven intervention programmes like the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme can have beyond standard evaluation data.