Arts Council for Wales – Lead Creative Schools Initiative
Read here about the lead creative school collaboration undertaken by Year 5 pupils as part of our two year project
Tate
Of 548 schools that took part in the LCS Scheme St. Joseph’s was one of only 32 schools chosen to showcase and celebrate the Lead Creative Schools work with an installation in the Tate Exchange, held in the Tate Modern, London, in April 2019.
Tate Exchange is an ambitious ‘open experiment’ which allows organisations and members of the public to participate in Tate’s creative process, running events and projects on site and using art as a way of addressing wider issues in the world around us.
The LCS event highlighted the positive impact this scheme has had on schools, teachers, pupils and the artists involved. Visitors experienced a journey through the ‘Five Creative Habits of Mind’ – the bespoke teaching pedagogy that underpins this bold and ambitious programme.
Cabinet Secretary for Education, said:
“Reducing the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers is at the heart of our national mission to raise standards and is also one of the driving principles behind this programme.
“There’s no better showcase for the programme’s excellent work than the Tate Modern. This is testament to how well schools, teachers and learners have embraced these learning methods and I want to congratulate everyone involved.
“We are already starting to see the results of our investment, which is changing how we view the arts and creativity in relation to the school curriculum while also improving academic achievement, broadening experience and developing crucial life skills”.
The Lead Creative Schools Scheme has involved matching schools with creative professionals who use teaching and learning techniques that are specifically designed to be practical and relevant to real-life curriculum demands, and provide new ways for young people to engage with subjects, developing increased motivation for learning.
Phil George, Chair, Arts Council of Wales, said:
“This bespoke creative learning scheme isn’t just about improving access to the arts in schools, but harnessing the arts and using creative techniques to improve the quality of teaching and learning across the whole curriculum, particularly in literacy and numeracy.
“Within just three years we have already started to see that by nurturing and developing the creativity of pupils, they’re taking steps to achieve their academic potential and grow as well-rounded individuals, closing the gap between the best and least well performing pupils.
“We’re delighted that the Lead Creative Schools Scheme has been selected as a Tate Exchange Associate to showcase some of the great creative work taking place here in Wales as part of Tate Exchange at Tate Modern in London.”
The work from this project has also been installed at Swansea Museum as part of their ‘One Abertawe’ project ‘ (July 2018) and in The Senedd (April 2019) as part of the Arts council for Wales’ National Creative Learning Festival.
