The Covid19 Pandemic has increased the inequalities which restrict access to the Arts for many pupils across Europe. Issues like remoteness and economic deprivation are now even more exaggerated by Covid restrictions on transport and on gathering in public spaces. Teachers have become even more aware of the need to provide new and stimulating ways to access the arts for pupils temporarily (or permanently) retricted from the great insitutions of Artistic learning, understanding that without developing a love of the Arts, we cannot hope to provide a rounded education for our future adult citizens. Yet the wealth of online eductional resources provided by Galleries and Museums can be daunting to navigate or to find in 'bite sized', curriculum and lesson friendly portions appropriate to the classroom. With Art Galleries out of reach for many, this project aims to provide teachers of older primary pupils with materials that provide a pathway for their students to appreciate Art and the great National Galleries of our 4 partnership countries, both now and after the pandemic. Together, our partnership will develop 8 modules with schemes of work for upper Primary Teachers to use with their classes. Each will focus on a particular pan European theme, illustrated with specific works of Visual Art from the National Galleries of each of our partnership countries and each providing teachers with Art History theory, background and learning points to the particular theme. A number of suggested pupil activities included in each Module will support pupils' engagement with the topic being delivered, their appreciation of the Art works introduced and their connection with Art more generally. University led academic paper outcomes, an online Tool Kit for teachers with supporting research, materials and feedback on using the Modules to support primary creativity, as well as a self pacing Online Course for teachers, incorporating everything mentioned so far, will complete our project outcomes. Our partnership consists of 2 Training and Educational Network Organisations (in each of the UK and Italy), a Teacher Training University (in Greece) and a European Education Training Consultancy (in Sweden). All currently work with a network of local schools in each of their respective countries, which will pilot and help refine the new schemes of work produced and/or take part in later Multiplier Events in support of promoting the use of our project outcomes, all of which will be based around prominent works of Art in the National Galleries of all 4 countries. The partners have agreed a 2 year work-plan of collaboration, based around research, knowledge sharing, the development and testing of resources and dissemination and evaluation, with each partner leading on the development of 2 schemes of work but all contributing to all 8. Two transnational meeting to support the work are planned (one per year) although these can be moved online if conditions make this necessary. Multiplier Events will be held with teachers in all 4 countries (in person or online if required) in the final year of the project to promote the use of the 8 modules for use as either an ongoing, term-length class resource, or a resource which teachers can dip in or out of as the themes covered connect with their own curricular specifics. The accompanying Tool Kit and online Course will round out the outcomes, all of which will additionally form the basis of a future Erasmus+ Key Action 1 course to be advertised on the School Education Gateway and delivered in each of Italy, Sweden and Greece in the years following the project (with the delivery assistance of the UK partner) once the pandemic passes. Following the completion of the project, all lesson plans and resources produced by the project will be published and available for free on our project web site, linked to the web sites of each of the project's partner organisations, for a guaranteed minimum of 5 years from the completion of the project. Each of the organisations involved in their development is a respected training organisation, either experienced in the in-service training of current teachers or the initial training of future teachers and each with an engagement with or focus on Creativity or Art. And each country collaborating has a specific style of Visual Art and range of Art in their respective National Galleries which equally represented, will present teachers and pupils using the project outcomes with a diverse, multicultural learning tool. This project will allow us to engage with each other for the production of the 8 specific Art linked classroom resources and the supporting outputs described, allowing us to share that focus with schools in all 4 of our partner countries during their development and with schools and teachers Europe-wide at the end, both during and following the current Covid19 pandemic.
The project aimed to produce resources for schools which were relevant internationally and support teachers and pupils to address global and contemporary social themes whilst still providing an outward looking collaborative element at a time when the pandemic was stifling perspectives. The resources were based upon art from the National Galleries of the four partner countries- the UK, Sweden, Italy and Greece. The teaching aids produced needed to be innovative, to inspire, to embrace national curriculums and also extend pedagogy. We collaborated to choose the eight themes and relevant art works. In providing materials useful for teachers/ practitioners in the classroom we wanted to provide sufficient background information, for example art history, to maximise benefit. In developing activities based on art we set out to encourage schools to use works of art as a starting point for exploring art activities, language based work and drama, with possibilities of cross curricula cooperation whilst exploring ideas about each particular theme. The project also provides a bigger resource than just the modules, with a website that embraces further training opportunities for teachers and an increasing amount of background knowledge.
The call for this project was a special call from the European Commission during the period of continued uncertainty due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. In some countries schools were closed whilst others were effected by illness of staff and pupils. Restrictions had curtailed travel between schools and locations both within countries and across nations. The call was based around 'creativity', so it was important to develop an idea which would both build on the digital skills developed by teachers as well as providing an opportunity to widen pupil’s horizons once again. The concept of the project was to find a way to stimulate international collaboration whilst also providing a different focus which teachers and pupils outside of their restricted boundaries. The remit also needed to engage pupils actively in a way that helped them consider issues or themes in the world which they were both familiar with but could also challenge their previous constructs. Art works can be a useful starting point to evoke discussion.