Creative Scotland's findings demonstrate that the most effective projects are those where young people are “there to do and make something creative and if there are other benefits that is a bonus. The programmes will not be successful if the participants feel that they are getting ‘youth work by the back door’.”
The research looked into how young people’s creative development may be linked to other elements of personal or social development. It also noted that highly skilled practitioners were required to make projects work.
http://www.creativescotland.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/43791/Creative-Scotland-CashBack-Research-Report.pdf