Teach Primary 18.8

www.teachwire.net | 25 Kaytie Holdstock is the author of Teaching a Diverse Primary Art Curriculum , published by Bloomsbury. to acquire. Take inspiration from artists such as Cecilia Vicuña and El Anatsui, who work with found objects, to create exciting art opportunities with free resources. We also need to ensure that our classes are immersed in rich, engaging art experiences that are representative of the diverse world our children live in. We need to source inspiration from a broad base of art and artists, so that every child sees themselves in our art curriculum. Look at your curriculum as a whole and think critically about the artists you choose, so that children are presented with a more accurate and representative art historical canon. Encourage your teachers to choose diverse artists that resonate with themselves as inspiration. When teachers feel passionate about what they are teaching and take ownership over their content choices, this enthusiasm will be shared with the children. Also, seek out local artists to inspire the children. Pupils need to see art as something that real people do, so they truly understand that creative careers are not only achievable, but much needed in our changing world. Fly the flag for your subject by raising the profile of art within your school. By engaging the whole school (staff as well as children!) in projects such as exhibitions, competitions and local or Five inspirational artists Shinichi Sawada: Sawada works with clay to create amazing monsters inspired by Japanese folklore. His sculptures are full of personality and his signature use of spikes and swirls would be a perfect starting point for children’s own creations. Glenn Ligon: Have a look at Ligon’s colouring book-style art. Glenn gave children colouring book-style images of famous people for the children to embellish how they chose. He then incorporated their ideas into his work. Children could print images of famous people found online and then embellish them in their own ways. Faith Ringgold: Ringgold’s use of embroidery and textiles to tell stories would inspire a beautiful project using felt or fabric offcuts. Children could tell stories from their own lives or about the life of someone they have been learning about in school. Barabara Kruger: I love Kruger’s combination of photography and text art. This would make a great digital art project, where children take their own photos and add a red text box with the signature white writing to turn their photo into a poster. Nathan Bowen: Bowen is a graffiti artist whose work revolves around the signature motif of a demon. This stylised form appears in many costumes and situations and would be a great starting point for children to create their own demons, thinking about the choices of colour, clothing and setting. “We need to fight for improvements in the quality and quantity of art within schools” national initiatives, you show the children that art matters within your school and that you champion artistic skills in the same way and on the same level as reading and writing. Advocate for your subject and remember, you are not alone; all around the country there are art teacher network groups full of amazing teachers like you, who really care about and believe in the power of art. Find your nearest group and get involved. If nothing like this exists in your locality, there are many supportive online art lead groups run through social media by Access Art or the NSEAD. Just being part of a group with like-minded educators will be empowering for you as you continue the fight for the arts within schools. Being art lead can be a lonely job, but one of incredible importance; advocating for creativity has the potential to empower children and transform lives. Tables must be wiped and painting aprons washed, but the impact of quality primary art education lasts forever. TP F EATURE S AR T kaytieholdstockart.com @kaytieholdstockart