THE CREATIVE ARTS AND EDUCATION
Creativity in education significantly enhances students’ learning experiences and overall development. At Create, our programmes, led by professional artists, offer participants high-quality creative arts experiences. Research by Linearity shows that participation in art-based programmes positively impacts academic achievements, and correlates with higher student engagement, increased confidence, and a strong desire to learn. After engaging in creativity, students become more responsible for their learning, feel confident mastering complex material, and are willing to take risks.
Staff members at the special needs schools that have taken part in Create projects shared with us the significant educational benefits their students gained from engaging with creative arts activities.
IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT
Charlotte, a teacher at Forster Park Primary School in the London Borough of Lewisham, took part in creative:connection, our programme that brings together disabled and non-disabled children.
“The project was stop motion animation. It was all about the mixing of [students from our school and Greenvale School], making connections with each other, enjoying creating their visual artworks together and having that sense of belonging.
“Our pupils got along fantastically. They were very patient and very accommodating. They’ve taken those skills away too. They can be very patient with each other and accommodating of everyone’s needs.
“We’ve got one child in particular who really struggles to stay in his classroom. Yesterday he had the best day ever. He did all his work, he stayed in class, he became a helper for the teacher and everything. All because he’s learnt things from these [workshops]. He’s become a lot more considerate within the classroom. He is able to let other people have a turn. And he’s been sitting for periods of time.”
Developing Essential Skills Through Creative Arts
environment:matters is our environmental project with schoolchildren who have special educational needs. We spoke to teacher Serena about the project that took place at Haymerle School. This was designed to upskill and empower the children through music.
“The independence skills and the [children’s] engagement and focus has been the biggest development. It’s been amazing seeing them. For example, some children only came for two minutes the first week, and then were there for 20 minutes eight weeks later. That is a massive improvement for our children. This might normally take months or years for them to do. It was pretty impressive.
They worked really well together and it was nice seeing relationships develop.
“Even the bickering and arguing was nice to see, as it’s a very neurotypical thing to bicker. And they were appreciating each other’s work and praising each other at the exhibition, which was just lovely.”
We would like to thank Kusuma Trust for funding this creative:connection project and BNP Paribas for funding environment:matters.