Taking culture to the classroom

By Angela Harrison
BBC News education reporter

Many schools have good cultural links

Tollsby School in Middlesbrough is the kind of success story the government is dreaming of for its initiative to bring culture to more children.

A special school for children with behavioural problems, pupils there would not, until recently, have been regulars at local arts centres.

But that is what is happening now.

Specialist teaching assistant Vicky Parker says a call out of the blue from the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (Mima) has changed the fortunes of many pupils.

People perceive them as hoodies, quite difficult young men, but it worked like a dream Vicky Parker, Tollsby School, Middlesbrough

She was invited to the institute for a behind-the-scenes-tour as part of the gallery's outreach work and was asked if she wanted to bring some pupils in to do the same.

"I loved it. They treated me as a valued visitor and I thought it would be good for the lads to feel the same," she said.

"It is a fantastic building and I wanted them to feel it was part of their town."

The school first chose to take some of the oldest pupils - the Year 11s - and the success of the first visit has led, they say, to one pupil deciding to go to art college and to others turning back towards education.

"People perceive them as hoodies, quite difficult young men, but it worked like a dream," said Mrs Parker.

Once at the institute, the teenagers were encouraged to enter a competition which would result in work being displayed there.

"We now have the situation where our Year 11s - a very challenging year - are mentoring our Year 7s," Mrs Parker told the BBC news website.

"They are guiding them around the galleries, so it becomes somewhere they can go frequently.

"We have noticed a big change in them. They have grown in stature.

"The lad who is now going on to art college - which is unheard of here - has now become a role model with others following him around wanting drawing lessons and two lads are going to Mima for work experience."

Encouraging

Mima - which opened just over a year ago - is one of the many galleries in the UK running outreach work with schools and other groups in the community.

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The link with the school came about through the gallery's involvement in a programme called Watch this Space, designed to bring together galleries and teachers new to them in long-term partnerships.

The project is run for Engage - the national association of gallery education - which promotes "access to, enjoyment and understanding of the visual arts".

The big national, regional and London galleries are involved in Engage, as are smaller independent galleries and individual artists and teachers.

Jane Sillis, director of Engage, said: "Lots of schools do fantastic work and have very skilled practitioners who are often trained artists.

"It's about validating that and encouraging schools to work with art galleries in their locality."

Many schools and colleges have already forged strong links between their pupils and the art world.

Ministers want more children to engage with culture

At Montpelier Primary School in Ealing, there is an annual Arts Week, when the normal curriculum is abandoned and all years take part in various arts activities.

Parents with particular skills come in and lead hands-on sessions from everything from video-making, sculpture and portraiture to crafts and drumming.

Head teacher Am Rai said: "Arts Week gives children the opportunity to complete sustained pieces of work which would not normally be possible.

"They get to work alongside experts and it's a chance for parents to come in and engage with the school and for children to share each other's cultures too."

Recently, the school ran an artist-in-residence scheme where artist Tom Banks set up a studio in the foyer of the school and worked with small groups of children.

Pupils began by photographing trees in the school grounds, then drew sketches before going on to produce oil paintings by the end of the day.

The Devon Arts in Schools Initiative (Daisi) was set up by local school governors and teachers about 10 years ago, to bring together the arts and education worlds.

One of the recent projects involved taking children to local settings, such as beaches, the moors or a National Trust property, to work with an artist or writer.

People should have the opportunity to find out. It's about giving people choices Barbara Taylor, Enquire

Director Liz Hill said: "It's about opening up horizons, letting young people feel that resources in their locality are for them. It's interesting and it can inspire them to see that they can be the artist too."

Barbara Taylor is director of Enquire, a research project which explores the effects of young people working with visual artists.

She says such work brings a variety of benefits.

"It's about learning art skills and seeing what career prospects there are, but it's also about life skills and increasing self-confidence".

The challenge for the government's new initiative will be to reach children from families who would not normally go to galleries, she says.

And although art galleries and culture might not be for everyone - everyone should at least have the chance to try it.

"People should have the opportunity to find out. It's about giving people choices. It's important people get a chance to develop an interest."