Guest blog: Shaping the future with art, design and craft education
Governing boards have been using the updated聽Art, craft and design guide, developed in collaboration between Arts Council England, the 海角社区 and NSEAD, to聽help them聽prepare for school inspections, improve pupil attainment and develop their art, design and craft offer in schools.
聽have seen聽the difference聽that access to advocacy resources such as these can make for achieving excellent cultural education.
Working towards recovery
In considering what their recovery curriculum might be, many schools, encouraged by their governing board, are looking at the power of arts to聽support wellbeing聽and聽provide聽a space where pupils can be equipped and empowered to process their experiences in an increasingly聽complex world.聽We know the power of聽non-verbal activity 鈥撀爐hinking, feeling, reacting. Children and young people need this activity聽more than ever聽and there are聽great聽opportunities within art, design and craft聽for聽governing boards to be aware of.
We have seen some brilliant examples of schools embracing art,聽craft聽and design education, taking advantage of local and national聽resources from cultural organisations. Two examples that NSEAD has endorsed are聽, a聽national schools craft challenge, launched by the Crafts Council in 2021 and聽,聽a project from The Photography Movement that channels the power and wonder of photography into a safe emotional outlet for children and young people. Both projects聽can聽sit brilliantly聽in any art,聽craft聽and design curriculum plan, or be part of your聽extra-curricular聽offer.
We are really looking forward to seeing what pupils聽submit聽for both聽projects and聽are already hearing about the positive benefits on聽wellbeing聽as well as聽skills development.聽Projects like these are a brilliant way to encourage pupils to engage with art, craft and design, with inspiring artists and themes that invite pupils to explore their own interests and practice.
Championing art, design and craft education
What can you do as a聽governor or trustee? We encourage schools to be outward facing,聽keeping聽in touch聽with聽local and聽national聽opportunities for pupils.聽You can do this through connecting with your local聽聽who will be able to update you with new opportunities.
We also recommend that your school聽is connected with NSEAD and the other national聽聽who support art education.聽They can help you discover subject-specific opportunities for children and young people alongside practical training for teachers and teaching staff.
If you are struggling to find space on a packed agenda for arts and cultural learning,聽we would strongly recommend that you become an聽聽school. They can support you by providing a flexible framework to embed arts and culture across the curriculum and help keep the arts firmly in your line of sight.聽
Art, design and craft education is a powerful tool to help prepare pupils for all aspects of life in a global, changing world. Chris Cox, creative director at Cox London聽describes the power of聽art,聽craft聽and design education by saying,聽鈥淚 never underestimate the power of those teachers who introduced me to clay and plaster and showed me how to cut wood and weld metal. Each time I was taught another process I moved closer to the profession that would nourish me, both literally and mentally, for life.鈥
聽are the subject association for art and design, advocating for high-quality art and design education across schools in England.
Explore our聽cultural education guides聽for governing boards covering dance, art, craft and design,聽music聽and creativity across the curriculum.