Blog

As a Secondary History trainee teacher, I was given the opportunity to complete two weeks of ‘Professional Enrichment’ in a school-based context. As a former actress, the choice was simple: an organisation that synthesised creative arts with teaching, learning and professional development. Artis ticked all these boxes.

The first sound on the first album by The Beatles is not guitar-riff, or an up-beat on the snare drum, but Paul McCartney’s voice counting to four. One, two three FOUR, he yelps, and thus begins the catalogue of the most successful pop band in history.

I could give you lots of facts, figures and statistics but they would not convey the passion I feel for how the arts transformed and enriched my life since childhood. So I will share a little of my personal experience and thought. I still remember my first encounter with a piano when I was four years old. I remember running up to this wonderful instrument at my uncle’s house and banging on the keys so enthusiastically that he received numerous complaints from the neighbours. Somehow I already knew that it was a gateway to a very exciting world of possibility.

It’s vital that children engage with art. Why? What does engagement with the visual arts give to young people? How about: 1. Space to think 2. Opportunities to try out ideas 3. The chance to explore personal and group identity 4. Time to wonder and read this blog for many more ideas…

In his quest to popularise mathematics, Marcus du Sautoy has been sharing his enthusiasm for all things mathematical on our TVs and radios for almost twenty years.

Recently, Artis attended the SEN Leader Update Conference in Manchester and we heard a fantastic talk by Jan Martin from Sensitive Education Consultancy about Ofsted inspection of SEN provision. We wanted to share some of her comments here for anyone who may have missed the session.

Narrowing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children undoubtedly has an effect on social mobility later in life. However, the most effective way to narrow this gap is hotly debated, most recently so in the House of Lords.

Executive Chairman of Artis Rebecca Boyle Suh describes why she started our ‘What is art?’ competition.

As I walked around an Essex primary school, I saw a question of the week all over the walls; ‘Why are the grown-ups in charge?’ The head said that the previous week it was ‘What makes the moon shine?’ and the following week would be ‘Why do we have wars?’

The children at this school were delving into the depths of philosophical enquiry with the help of a book called Big Questions from Little People, and Simple Answers from Great Minds by Gemma Elwin Harris. I certainly wish I had gone to this primary school and had my thinking skills fostered in this way.

Here are some texts which have become staples of the primary curriculum. Think The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Highwaymanand anything by Roald Dahl. You might be teaching these stories for the third, fourth or fifth time with your classes, and there is always room to freshen your approach by incorporating performing arts into your literacy lessons.

Children’s minds are fluid and free. They explore in an undaunted manner and have a flexibility in the way they connect things. But encouraging children to develop their own imagination doesn’t always fit into the school setting where their minds can become restricted by categorisations and boundaries.