The research project is in two parts. The first part of the research is to measure the aspirations of young people currently in Years 7 and 9 of six secondary schools in the city. The project will analyse this information, together with related school performance data, to provide a baseline for measuring changes to young people’s levels of aspiration as a result of involvement in the arts over 2005-2007. This part of the research, with some modifications, took place in April 2005. The final part of the project will take place in May/June 2007 and will assess the changes in levels of aspiration of the target groups. A summary of findings for this second part of the research will be presented to the City Council before 31^st July 2007.