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Wales doubles reach of scheme to embed arts in schools

Turner Prize-winning architects Assemble are one of the ‘Creative Agents’ collaborating with schools in a scheme that aims to reach a third of Welsh schools by 2020.

Christy Romer
2 min read

Almost 150 schools are set to join Wales’ Lead Creative Schools scheme, the five-year project that aims to embed creativity in the classroom.

This will take the number of primary and secondary schools involved in the scheme to 276, supporting the goal of targeting one third of all Welsh schools by 2020.

Essential element

The £20m scheme, jointly funded by the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Government, connects schools with ‘Creative Agents’ to use the arts to help teach subjects such as maths and science, raise overall attainment and tackle identified academic challenges.

Each of the participating schools is given skills and resources to help tailor a programme of creativity over a two-year period..

Collaborations with Creative Agents – which have included Turner Prize-winning architects Assemble – have seen pupils use ‘dragon-skin’ journals and immersive theatre to discover story-writing, and improve their numeracy skills by creating jewellery products which were then ‘bought’ and ‘sold’.

Going forwards

The Lead Creative Schools scheme forms a key part of Creative Learning through the Arts action plan, launched by the Welsh Government and the Arts Council of Wales last year to embed the arts and creativity in the school curriculum.

It follows a step change in the way that educational success in measured in the country: schools are now assessed on whether students are becoming ambitious, capable learners; enterprising, creative contributors; ethical, informed citizens; and healthy, confident individuals.

Diane Hebb, Director of Engagement and Participation at Arts Council of Wales, said: “From the first year of Lead Creative Schools activity we’re already seeing amazing impacts upon learners and upon their teachers.

“Our ultimate aim is to ensure that all children, particularly those from less well-off backgrounds, have greater access to high quality arts and creative experiences during their time at school, and in doing so, supporting improvements in motivation, behaviour and attainment amongst our young people.”

Progress in the scheme is being tracked by the Arts Council of Wales, which assesses attainment levels in literacy, numeracy and in narrowing the gap in educational achievement between students. The results of the year one evaluation will be published in the autumn.