SHOWCASE: CONTEMPORARY ART IN THE CLASSROOM We are delighted to share with you this showcase selection of the Contemporary Art in the Classroom programme 2025 projects in action. The voices of our teachers can be heard as they reflect on the power and impact our programme had on their teaching practice, their connection to art in…
BLOG: Rob Elkington, Director, Arts Connect There has been a noticeable increase in interest and concern about the impact on boys’ behaviours by negative and damaging voices from the ‘manosphere’. The response to the drama ‘Adolescence’, written by and starring Stephen Graham, led to a public conversation about the vulnerabilities of boys, a belief…
BLOG: Becky Thompson, Education Producer, Arts Connect When it was confirmed that nationally renowned contemporary art exhibition British Art Show 9 (BAS9) was coming to Wolverhampton in 2020, we knew that there would be a brilliant opportunity for us to work with local partners to develop a learning programme that would engage and inspire teachers…
BLOG: Georgia Leavesley, Teacher, Merridale Primary School, Wolverhampton. When I first joined the Classroom as Studio programme, I was drawn to its refreshing, outside the lines approach to developing children’s oracy, confidence and individuality through art. What struck me immediately was the programme’s commitment to giving children a safe, inclusive space to express themselves, while…
BLOG: Roz, Complex Simplicity, Artist I’ve embraced the unexpected direction of my journey with the Classroom as Studio programme. Year One has already had a significant impact on my own personal and professional development as well as my design practice, so I’m excited to see how Year Two develops. The ambition and scope of…
BLOG: ROB ELKINGTON, DIRECTOR – ARTS CONNECT Researching through Creative Methods Whilst we love collaborating with teachers and artists, we’ve also been applying our skills as researchers with colleagues at the University of Wolverhampton. We’ve previously worked with Dr Josh Blamire from the Institute for Community Research and Development (ICRD) on a research project that…
BLOG: ROB ELKINGTON, DIRECTOR – ARTS CONNECT New Arts Leaders Subject Network We are pioneering with the Central Co-operative Learning Trust family of nine primary schools, a new approach to developing art subject leaders’ expertise and confidence. In common with the CPDL approach we use in our other programmes and activity, our starting point…
BLOG: Mia Bano, Teacher, Arden Primary School, Birmingham Making the Case for Curiosity Classroom as Studio Programme At Arden, our Oracy vision- “every child, every voice, every opportunity”- is more than a statement on a wall; it is something we strive to live and breathe each day. It was this belief in the power of…
“Lots of individual ideas, but also a renewed confidence about moving Art forward” Teacher Participant in Arts Connect Art CPD “I have taken away ‘practical art skills and teaching and learning ideas.” Teacher Participant in Arts Connect Art CPD BLOG: Becky Thompson Teaching Drawing in the Primary Classroom: Creativity in the Classroom – Art CPD…
BLOG: Charlotte Cox, Teacher, Villiers Primary School, Bilston Classroom as Studio Programme At the start of the Classroom as Studio project, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I joined with the hope of deepening my understanding of art education and finding new, exciting, and more engaging ways to teach art to my Year 5…