Culture enriches lives, and participation in creative and cultural activities can have a significant impact on young people, by developing their appreciation, their skills and helping them to learn.
This has been shown repeatedly in international studies, and has also been backed up by recent evaluations of major programmes such as Creative Partnerships and Museums’ Strategic Commissioning. What these evaluations have shown is that culture and the arts can help young people achieve all of the Every Child Matters outcomes.
Cultural activities also gives young people the chance to develop important life skills such as creativity.
As well as being valuable and enjoyable in its own right, participation in cultural activities also gives young people the chance to develop important life skills such as creativity, confidence, self-discipline, effective communication and the ability to work in teams. These skills are particularly important in a world of rapid technological and social change where the cultural and creative industries are increasingly important to our economic future.
That is why a commitment was made in the Children’s Plan to work towards a position where all children and young people — no matter where they live or what their background — have the chance to participate in at least five hours of high-quality culture per week, in and out of school. The Find Your Talent programme looks at different ways of offering young people a range of cultural experiences.
The aim is to give young people the chance to develop as:
Arts and cultural activities are also an important stimulus to develop young people’s creativity. Learning Outside the Classroom activities which give children and young people the opportunity to work on real-life challenges; handle risk; develop their capacity to think imaginatively and creatively; define and explore complex problems; use and adapt multiple resources both within their community and beyond in order to experiment and devise solutions to these problems — all of these experiences nurture the mix of thinking, imagining, facing the unknown and making things happen which are the ingredients of creativity.
School Art and Design courses provide students with a wide range of creative, exciting and stimulating opportunities to explore their artistic interests and design skills in ways that are personally relevant.
All schools aim to develop students’ ability to engage in practical ways with the processes of Art and Design. And at examination level all courses build on students’ innate creative skills through learning and doing in order to develop imaginative ways of working. They aim to enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of media, materials and technologies in historical and contemporary contexts, societies and cultures.
The educational visits that can enhance the learning experiences outside the classroom obviously include art galleries and studios, but there are now many opportunities to have hands-on experiences in a variety of skills, including sculpture, wood carving, furniture making, weaving, jewelry making, and pottery.
The BBC offer a fabulous section of their website called Your Paintings. It boasts a superb schools section which grew out of a Your Painitings Masterpieces in Schools event that took place across the country. The event gave thousands of UK school children the opportunity to experience great art close-up when a masterpiece visited their schools for the day. To support the project the BBC have curated a host of online resources including: slideshows of paintings with ideas for use in the classroom; profiles of careers in the art world; and a guide to artistic styles and movements. These cover many areas of the curriculum including History, Music, Geography, English and Drama as well as Art.
Main organisations:
National Society for Education in Art and Design
National Foundation for Educational Research
Inclusion: NASEN, and the Royal Academy of Arts runs regular sensory workshops for SEN students.
Thought of visiting?
Cardiff Art Gallery at the National Museum Cardiff
Keith Harding’s World of Mechanical Music, Gloucester
Sir Richard Arkwright’s Cromford Mill, Derbyshire
Snibston Discovery Park, Coalville, Leicestershire
Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
The National Stone Centre, Wirksworth
Articles about Art, Education and Trips on SchoolTripsAdvisor
Find out about the National Portrait Gallery's exhibition: Real Tudors: Kings & Queens Rediscovered
Explore what life was like for Hampshire people in the past by wandering through Milestones’ old cobbled streets. And as you wander round you may also encounter some of our costumed characters…
Enthusiasts will enjoy our collection of beautifully restored vintage vehicles - and so will kids of all ages!
Take an interactive IQ test with Albert Einstein and meet the British royal family before pulling up a chair in US President Barack Obama's Oval Office.
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Dallas/Fort Worth – join us to discover all the things you can do with LEGO® bricks!
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Chicago – jump into the biggest box of LEGO® bricks ever!
From basic learning through play to more advanced engineering and design skills, we offer LEGO® workshops for children to enjoy learning with a difference!
Housing the Robert Opie collection, the world's largest collection of packaging and related materials.
Learning
A creative play project where kids can discover messy and sensory activities, play with unusual materials, and stretch their imaginations! Weekly family groups, plus dedicated sessions for younger kids, and additional sessions at weekends and during school holidays.
Welcome to Kirkcaldy Galleries, the town’s new cultural venue and visitor attraction. Situated in the heart of Kirkcaldy, a £2.5million refurbishment programme has restored many of the original features of the War Memorial building, as well providing a fresh, contemporary space for visitors to enjoy.
After receiving a warm welcome at the new reception area, you can explore
Clay and Play is a paint your own pottery shop. We have an extensive range of items to choose from. You paint it then we glaze and fire it in our kiln. Its then ready to collect 5-7 days later. We can post them to you for a small extra cost.
A unique little museum with over 5,000 objects relating to the Birmingham Steel pen trade and the history of writing. Very interactive, you can make your own pen and try your hand at calligraphy.
When the proprietors of the Smith & Pepper jewellery manufacturing firm decided to retire in 1981 they ceased trading and locked the door, unaware they would be leaving a time capsule for future generations. Tools were left strewn on benches; grubby overalls were hung on the coat hooks; and dirty teacups were abandoned alongside jars of marmite and jam on the shelf.
The Art Gallery & Museum has a permanent collection of over 11,000 objects in the fields of art, crafts, sculpture, local and social history, archaeology and ethnography. Most have been donated by local people, beginning in the 1860s and continuing to the present day.
The Parkridge Centre is in a great location in the heart of Brueton Park, Solihull. It is an ideal location for younger children to explore their local area and experience the wonderful nature and wildlife that our area has to offer.
The Pottery Paint Shop is a relaxed, fun place to pop in at any time and let the artist in you free.
Warwickshire Museum is the name for the body which operates both the Market Hall Museum and St John's Museum in Warwick. It is part of Heritage and Culture Warwickshire.
Visit us for a guided factory tour and to see some of the fabulous artists at work.
Led through each process of manufacture by one of Country Artist’s experienced Guides, the tour ambles its way to what many people find the most fascinating aspect of the whole tour - the painting studios.
Our pottery painting and craft studio is light and spacious and seats comfortably between 40 to 45 people. It is a great place for parties for children and adults of all ages. We can cater for any event, even outside normal hours.
We have a wonderful selection of pottery and a large array of paint colours to choose from as well as plenty of ideas and tools to help you get creative.
Considered to be a "storybook in stone," Warwickshire's oldest church reflects its rich history with buttresses at odd angles, Saxon windows and remnants of a tithe barn.
The Arts Centre is open seven days a week and events are primarily presented during the three 10-week University terms, except for films, which are shown for 52 weeks of the year. At Christmas the Theatre and Studio are used for family shows.
Focuses on Kidderminster's international carpet supplying history and includes a great many textile examples, plus informative displays and exhibits.
Come and have fun painting your own design on a piece of pottery. There are lots of things to choose from, including mugs, plates and bowls, money boxes, treasure boxes, animals, cupcakes, dragons, pirates, aliens, fairies, princesses and much more! Great fun for all the family.
Codsall Hive Craft and Ceramic Studio is a mecca for all things creative. Decopatch, pottery painting, clay sculpting, beading and badgemaking toddler arts and crafts, adult craft evenings, holiday workshops, plus painting, cutting and sticking and make a crown collaging to name a few activities for younger visitors.
A fascinating working museum set in a restored leather factory, where you can watch live demonstrations of traditional leather craft and maybe have a go yourself!
Walsall Leather Museum will help you and the kids to discover why Walsall was known as the capital of leather goods in Britain.
It is free to visit, and is run by a team of friendly and knowledgeable volunteers.
Birches Valley Forest Centre is an excellent starting point for an exhilarating day out on Cannock Chase. From the midlands best bike trails and woodland walks to adventure play and Go Ape we’ve got a great day out just waiting for you…
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.