Bow Arts: artists in schools

Documenting Bow Arts education programme

During May and June of this year, I could be found in Manor Park visiting schools involved in a consortium organised by Bow Arts. Bow Arts Education facilitates collaborations between artists and schools, and I was commissioned to create a film that showcases three examples of their work in a nursery, primary and secondary school setting. Each project was fascinating, and you could immediately see the benefit to the children and families taking part. At Sheringham Nursery, the artist Sara Haywood worked with families as a whole, to help teach parents how to create art with their children at home, at Dersingham Primary School, the artist Emma worked with the teacher and her class to compliment their curriculum work, whilst at Little Ilford Secondary School, key stage 3 students elected to attend Saturday morning workshops to create art projects as part of an Arts Award.

Art is such an important outlet of creativity for young people, particularly those who might not otherwise be academically inclined. By bringing artists into the classroom, not only is there more freedom with what the students can do, it can also spark the realisation that becoming an artist is a valid career path.