Live-in artists Education
Above left: Catherine Gray set up an artist-in-residence
scheme at Clifton High School Top: Art work at Wycombe Abbey
Left: Wycombe pupils
what to do and can teach you skills but working alongside an artist in situ is diff erent.” Having the opportunity to work with both enriches the classroom and the school environment. At St George’s and Wycombe Abbey, the artists
are expected to live on the premises during term time which develops the relationship further. “Living in is part of the job” says Cheryl Masters, assistant head at St George’s. “We wanted a relaxed atmosphere where the girls can chat in depth with the artist.” Furthermore, an artist in residence allows pupils
a glimpse into the world of a professional artist. Writer and painter Susie Hodge, author of T e Art and Design Teacher’s Handbook, says: “Artists don’t seem ‘real’ to many children and teenagers, so when an enthusiastic and talented person who actually earns money from it comes into their classrooms and they see for themselves how the artist works, it’s always enlightening and inspiring. It’s also good for students to see how versatile and self-motivated many artists are.” T is is particularly valuable to students who
are considering a career in the creative arts. “It’s a myth that there are no jobs in the arts,” says Frances Clark, pointing out that, prior to being artist in residence at Wycombe Abbey, textile artist Beth Nicholas had worked in the BBC costume department and on several commissions from T e National Trust. Similarly, while Catherine Gray was leading the
ceramics project at Clifton High School, she was also appearing on the BBC2 television documentary Britain’s Next Big T ing, presented by retail entrepreneur T eo Paphitis, when she successfully pitched a range of ceramics to high street chains. “It really brought it home to the students that art isn’t
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just something you do at school or as a hobby. You can be a successful professional artist,” says their head of art and design, Paul Ayers.
Artists in residence however don’t just benefi t students considering a career in the arts. Richard Hickman, Reader in Art Education at Cambridge University feels strongly that a vibrant arts culture is an asset to the whole school. “I am bemused by the common assertion that studying art has little instrumental value,” says the author of Why we make art and why it is taught, who believes that participating in art can help children develop important transferable skills. In his book, he outlines the aims of art in schools which includes introducing students to their cultural heritage, developing practical problem-solving and lateral thinking skills, enhancing creativity and promoting inventiveness and risk taking.
An artist-in-residence programme can help foster such an environment, with pupils engaging with the arts throughout the school. It certainly overcame a concern of Wycombe Abbey’s Frances Clark, who realised that pupils often felt that their ✏
Autumn 2011 FirstEleven 41
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