Special dispensation is the process of requesting authorisation for young people, who are outside the stated age limits for Arts Award, to be entered for Arts Award.
Arts Award’s national qualifications support young people aged 25 and under to develop as artists and arts leaders. To be entered for Arts Award, a young person must be aged 25 and under for Arts Award Discover and Explore, or aged 11 – 25 for Bronze, Silver and Gold Arts Award.
Special dispensation can be requested if:
In both cases the centre must request special dispensation prior to entering young people for Arts Award via the centre portal. The centre must present a valid reason for the request and the young people who are granted special dispensation must be entered alongside a cohort where the majority are within the stated age limits for Arts Award.
To request special dispensation for young people who are outside the stated age limits for Arts Award, please download and complete the Special Dispensation Request Form and send to ArtsAwardOpsTeam@trinitycollege.co.uk.
Please note: it is very unusual for special dispensation to be granted in any circumstance other than those detailed above.
If you are intending on offering Arts Award to an individual who will not meet the above criteria, we strongly advise that you contact us before you start delivering your Arts Award programme/project.