Art

Art

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:

  • informed spectators (through attending top quality theatre and dance performances, world class exhibitions, galleries, museums and heritage sites)
  • participants and creators (through learning a musical instrument, playing and singing in ensembles, taking part in theatre and dance performances, producing artwork, making films and media art, or curating an exhibition).

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:

Arts Council

Engage

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?

The National Gallery

National Portrait Gallery

Royal Academy of Arts

Tate Modern

The Tate, St Ives

Victoria and Albert Museum

Birmingham Art Gallery

Cardiff Art Gallery at the National Museum Cardiff

The Eden Project, Cornwall

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

Read Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry's thoughts on Art Education, published recently in the TES.

Venues for this Curriculum

The Wallace Collection is a national museum in an historic London town house, which displays the wonderful works of art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess. It was bequeathed to the British nation by Sir Richard's widow, Lady Wallace, in 1897.

A good display of Luton history and a history of the development of Luton industries.

Hagley Hall is a Grade I listed 18th-century house in Hagley, Worcestershire. It was the creation of George, 1st Lord Lyttelton, secretary to Frederick, Prince of Wales, poet and man of letters and briefly Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Chester Castle was founded by William the Conqueror in 1070 and became the administrative centre of the Earldom of Chester. The first earth and timber ‘motte and bailey’ castle probably only occupied the area of the inner bailey. In the twelfth century it was rebuilt in stone and the outer bailey added.

Frigidarium, tepidarium, caldarium and natatio. Sounds like one of Harry Potter’s spells! In fact, they describe the wide range of facilities on offer to the Second Augustan Legion and other residents at their state-of-the-art leisure complex. We are talking heated changing rooms, a series of cold and warm baths, covered exercise rooms and even an open-air swimming pool.

We are a small museum chronicling the life and times of the famous writer, Jane Austen, plus Regency tearoom.

Our Jane Austen experience begins with a warm welcome and introductory talk from one of our knowledgeable and experienced guides. The introduction takes place on the first floor of this attractive Georgian town house, in a classically decorated period room.

Welcome to the truly enchanting and magical world of the Creaky Cauldron, where every hour is the witching hour, but you don't need to be a card carrying witch to join in the fun!

Visit our amazing museums in the midst of the stunning English Riviera, a UNESCO Global Geopark

Since its foundation in 1196, Torre Abbey has witnessed, survived and even played a role in some epic moments of history. It's one of the best buildings in the country for the story of Catholicism.

This is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain. It stands over the place where Alban, the first martyr, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1700 years ago - more than 200 years before St Augustine arrived in Canterbury.

The Stockwood Discovery Centre is designed with environmentally green and sustainable principles in mind.

With interactive display, variety of gardens, children play area, special events and activities, bee gallery and much more, it is a wonderful visitor attraction and museum. Collection highlights include the Wenlok Jug, the Shillington gold coin hoard and the Mossman collection.

Harewood House is a country house in Harewood near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Designed by architects John Carr and Robert Adam, it was built between 1759 and 1771 for wealthy trader Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood.

A lovely little museum that covers the local history of the small market town of Tring from its earliest days to the recent past.

You can also learn about the industrial revolution and how the rural way of life in Tring was affected by the changes through time.

Discover Knightshayes, a country estate on a grand, gothic scale

Begun in 1869, and a rare survival of the work of the eccentric designer William Burges, Knightshayes is an extraordinary gothic delight, with rich Victorian interiors, with far reaching views of the Exe Valley and Tiverton.

The 112 acres of Kenwood is on the crest of one of the most popular open spaces in the capital, Hampstead Heath. In contrast to the natural Heath, the park around Kenwood is very much a designed landscape in an English style.

Set on the edge of Hampstead Heath and surrounded by tranquil landscaped gardens, Kenwood is one of London's hidden gems.

This accredited museum is supported by the Friends of Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, the Heritage Lottery Fund and a team of very enthusiastic volunteers.

The Museum covers five themes; The Royal Borough & its settlement, Military Associations, Aeronautical Windsor, Working Windsor and Childhood.

Exmouth Museum was first opened in 1985 and is housed in a 19th century building which was the Council Stables together with the adjoining foreman's cottage.

Cottage and farmhouse, the birthplace of Thomas Bewick

Thomas Bewick is perhaps Northumberland’s greatest artist: a wood engraver and naturalist who revolutionised print art in Georgian England.

The architect Sir John Soane’s house, museum and library at No. 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields has been a public museum since the early 19th century. Soane demolished and rebuilt three houses in succession on the north side of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, beginning with No. 12 between 1792 and 1794, moving on to No. 13, re-built in two phases in 1808-9 and 1812, and concluding with No.

Drayton Manor is a fun-filled theme park near Tamworth with rides like Apocalypse, Maelstrom and Pandemonium, animals and of course Thomas Land, home of Thomas the Tank Engine. There's even a 4D cinema and a Dino Trail.

School Visits

LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Berlin - it's like you've just jumped into the biggest box of LEGO®bricks ever!

 

Gold mines in use from Roman times to the 20th Century

These unique gold mines are set amid wooded hillsides overlooking the beautiful Cothi Valley.

2,000 years ago, the powerful Romans left behind a glimpse of gold-mining methods. The harsh mining environment continued in the 19th and 20th centuries, ending in 1938.

Guided tours take you back to experience the conditions of the Roman, Victorian and 1930s underground workings.

Our collections fall into two main groups.

Madame Tussauds Beijing is now open!


We've rolled out the red carpet and bought our unique blend of glitz and glamor to the Chinese capital!

Welcome to the Wedgwood Visitor Centre, set in over 240 acres in the heart of the Staffordshire countryside.

Pottery History

Madame Tussauds is the best place to visit for groups of ALL ages!

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