Black Country children to benefit from arts grant

A grant of £165,000 has been awarded to help develop children's creativity in Birmingham and the Black Country.

The money was awarded to Arts Connect, a scheme at the University of Wolverhampton, by Paul Hamlyn Foundation's Teacher Development Fund.

The funds will go towards its programme, Classroom as Studio, which aims to embed arts-based learning into the school curriculum and teaching practice.

It will work with eight primary schools in the region, six local artists, the Birmingham-based IKON art gallery, as well as both Walsall and Wolverhampton art galleries.

The scheme will run for two years, and will include teacher and artist workshops and visits to art galleries.

In the first year, teachers work with a local parter artist, who will help develop teaching practice and programmes of activity, as part of an action research project.

In the second year, they will be asked to use that research to create a programme of creative activity, which will become part of the school improvement plan, and embedded in the curriculum.

"This grant gives us a unique opportunity to work over two school years with teaching staff and leaders of schools to test out and embed innovative approaches to art teaching for children from five to 11 years old," said Rob Elkington, director at Arts Connect.

"Our focus is solely on the teachers' skills, confidence and learning. They will be brilliantly supported and inspired by their partner artist, gallery staff and the work of practicing artists.

"Our long-term aim as a partnership is to influence the experience of art for children in schools, way beyond the core group, inspired by the work that this pioneering group of teachers are already starting."

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