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Making art more accessible

  • Date: 16 February 2010
  • Region: West Midlands

Extended Schools Development Officer Duncan Setterington of The Lakelands School in Shropshire will be working in partnership with S.P.A.C.E and The Project Group to deliver art experiences to the whole community.The project was conceived following the findings of a consultation which suggested there was room for a range of age groups to become involved in more activities locally, particularly arts and crafts.

Duncan Setterington said, 'Learning doesn't just happen behind a desk or in a classroom, it's all around us, and should be an attitude and a culture. Access Art is a really progressive and innovative step towards extended learning, way beyond a school's normal reach, using art to help develop an exciting and creative environment for a whole community.The Arts Council are enabling us to raise levels of achievement across a wide demographic of people and embed that culture of learning from young children through to their grandparents.'

The project began by offering after-school opportunities for pupils, and then adult learning courses were created with local artists, culminating in an end of year exhibition to celebrate the achievements of the project and everyone involved.

This comprehensive project of arts-based activity is open to a whole community that would otherwise face many barriers in engagement. Together the school are developing facilities, creating both provision and awareness of art and tackling issues of access for young people.

Art teacher at the Lakelands School and local artist Andrew Richards said, 'It is really encouraging to see projects such as these given the support they need. Pupils here at Lakelands will reap huge benefits from being able to work with different materials, in new environments and are really enjoying the process too. It is also fantastic for local artists to have the opportunity to share skills with the local community and show our work'.

 

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