About us

Daisi is a leading arts education charity working throughout Devon, Torbay, and beyond. Our mission is to create and promote inspiring creative and cultural experiences that enable more children and young people, especially those from vulnerable or disadvantaged backgrounds, to access and enjoy the arts. Our vision is a world where all young people can develop their full potential through engagement in the creative arts, fostering life skills, self-belief, mental health and wellbeing, community participation, and personal fulfilment. 

Every day we see the benefit that early exposure to the arts can create for children and young people. Fundamental to Daisi’s vision is that we find ways to collaborate and create with all children, from pre-schoolers to late teens, and including those in more vulnerable or disadvantaged communities; widening horizons and raising aspirations.

What does Daisi do?

  • delivers arts opportunities that improve outcomes for young people across their creative, learning and social needs

  • initiates, supports, develops and project-manages artist partnerships with schools and other young people’s settings, delivering tailor-made workshops. Daisi works closely with artist and audience to ensure the needs of every individual setting is met

  • designs and develops specialist action-research projects to explore innovative approaches to arts education, sharing and influencing best practice across the region

  • actively collaborates with cultural organisations and other partners to co-develop events and festivals which have a broad reach within the local community, increasing the legacy of our work

  • develops teachers’ and youth leaders’ confidence and skills in embedding the arts across their curriculum, through training events and networking opportunities

History

Daisi is the arts education partnership organisation for Devon and Torbay.  The initiative began in 1995 as an independent venture between Devon Association of Governors, the arts and curriculum officers from Devon County Council, local Head Teachers’ associations, and local artists represented by Devon Arts Forum.

Both the Devon Local Authority and Arts Council England, South West, were immediately supportive of the Daisi partnership and its emerging aims, but neither was an initiator, and Daisi continues to operate independently of its major interest groups.

Daisi became a registered charity in 1998, opening up the possibility of significant activity in the arts-education field.  Since then, Daisi has developed within our region to offer a wide range of support and development initiatives which impact on opportunities for children and young people from 0 to 25 years, in and out of school.

Daisi is a Registered Charity (number 1071762) and Company Limited by Guarantee (number 3562299) and is governed by a Board of Trustees who represent a wide range of arts and education interests.

Every child has access to the exceptional, inspirational, life-changing power of the arts.

“The arts are a positive force in society: children feel more confident in their ability to create, challenge and explore, to be part of society, and to make change happen. Access to the arts is access to our national life, and it is a social justice issue.”
Why the Arts Matter, Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Increasing children and young people’s access to inclusive, relevant, high-quality arts participation, contributing to their education, health and wellbeing.

‘We made bird houses and bug hotels. We made them all out of recycled wood, metal and plastic. The best part of the day was building the stuff because when I’m older I’m going to be a builder. It was one of the best days of my life so far. My team made a bug house. I learnt a lot of stuff. I learnt that your imagination can turn something into anything. I even learnt how to use tools! I had a lovely time.’ – Alex, Shaldon Primary School

3D workshops in schools

Access to the arts is every child’s right, with life-changing benefits

Young people are an essential voice in how their arts and cultural offer is developed, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic even more than ever

Inclusion is front and centre of everything that we do and we strive to improve on this in every aspect of Daisi life. By inclusion we mean that we actively tailor our practice to create equitable access to Daisi, and that reflecting the diversity of our communities within Daisi increases our creativity and our impact

People are our most valuable asset and taking care of our working practice so that everyone can bring their best selves to our shared purpose is a priority for us