Gecko Arts and Media is a UK publicly funded delivery partner, working mainly in Central England.  We work with community arts organisations; develop organisations and leadership, and promoting art-forms and artists.

The organisation is member of the Skills Funding Agency’s Specialist provider Network for the Creative Industries, and is contracted by a number of agencies, NGOs and universities to advise on engagement with the sector and strategies for skills development.  We also have partnership with a Further Education college, to deliver customised and accredited vocational training courses to new-entrants to our chosen sector.

Gecko has a fraternity of host organizations in Central England, who have hosted young people through our Future Jobs grants and are now working with us for placements on our DWP Work Program.  In the last year, we provided temporary (6 month) employment to 72 jobless people so they could have the experience of work and of providing a service that was of community benefit.
We are working with 600-800 work less people a year, who are inner-city residents and are disadvantaged due to qualification levels, temporary employments, migrants/newcomers to the UK, lack of basic and language skills, health issues, and a lack of motivation and self-esteem.  
We offer coaching and mentoring to enhance our clients’ motivation and goal-setting, and support them into employment, and stay in employment.

Our DWP provision with work les people has been inspected, and judged to be “outstanding”.
In the Gecko team, we have a core team of 6 full-time and 2 part-time staff based in our offices in Wolverhampton, a further four full-time and two part-time staff who work from our offices in Birmingham, and a further twelve associates.

We have staff holding qualifications in project management (PRINCE2 Practitioner)and we devise and control project plans using this methodology and method. The majority of our staff hold Level 4 qualifications, and are experienced in working not only with this sector, but also with people who are new and recent entrants to the sector.  Our staff hold qualifications in human resource management, teaching, advice and guidance.  
We are interested in how participation in the arts and cultural activities can engage people, develop functional skills, and have the outcome of fostering individual progression to learning, employment and societal contributions (volunteering).  Collectively, this results in greater integration.