At a function held at the Royal Opera House last month, Arts Council England officially launched the national young people's Arts Awards. The event was attended by Minister for Culture, David Lammy, MP, and included presentations of their work by over 60 young artists. The Arts Award is a joint initiative of the Arts Council England and Trinity Guildhall examinations, which provides the quality assurance and accredited certification for the award. As the country’s first accredited youth arts scheme the Arts Award aims to reward the development of young artists and future arts leaders who will be able to access the scheme through arts organisations, schools, youth arts projects, youth clubs and community groups. In London the award will be administered by arts and education charity East-Side Educational Trust, which will co-ordinate training for teachers, youth workers and arts workers to become young people's Arts Award advisers. The Trust was established in 1994 ‘to introduce young people to the arts and literature in London, to promote independent learning through the use of the arts and to raise young people's standards of achievement in language and literacy’ and has won awards in this area. For further information, CLICK HERE.