Think, Talk, Make Art

Artworks were loaned from the Arts Council Collection and Cornwall Council Schools Art Collection, and were on display in each school for a period of 18 months. These in-school galleries were the inspiration for a programme of live and digital CPDL for teachers and senior staff led by artist-educators.

In addition to having the artworks in school, our focus was on developing knowledge, confidence and skills in art pedagogy for our teachers, many who considered themselves non-art specialists. The focus of playful learning driving critical discussion in Year 1 was replaced with the Art Leads directing their own CPDL for Year 2. They commissioned our lead artists, Naomi Frears and Alice Mahoney, to create a Make Art Toolkit, designed to support the Elements of Art, which underpin their art pedagogy. Alongside this, they identified further learning opportunities, including sessions with educational specialists, skills-based workshops and peer-to-peer exchange.

Throughout this project, we reflected often on the power of art in school as a tool for children’s wider learning. Maddie Hicks, Assistant Headteacher at Five Islands Academy summed up her experience of this:  ‘The artworks encourage us to look past where we are – portholes to different lives, different places. It gives us an immediate story to share with visitors, which is bigger than we are.’  This felt particularly pertinent when working in partnership with schools who were based in geographically remote communities and helped us to understand the impact on children’s feelings of self-worth and connectedness to the wider world.

Georgia Barker, Art Lead at Nancledra School described a developing momentum amongst the children at her school in the form of the Art Ambassadors. A group formed of a pupil from each class who championed the artworks in school. The group also curated and led their own art programme for their peers. Georgia commented, ‘It feels quite powerful, they come up with the ideas, deliver it and then reflect on it’. For these children, the artworks have been the starting point for this, Georgia explains, ‘Through the paintings in school we are connected to artists and ideas’.

As we wrapped the project and aimed to consolidate and embed learning across the 9 schools, we were struck by the powerful bond the Art Leads created over the duration of the project. Regular meetings, both in person and online supported a confidence and willingness to explore and reflect on new learning. Georgia Barker sums this up: ‘Through the meetings at the gallery we are connected to local artists and other teachers. We talk, we share, we grow.’