Moving beyond the transactional, towards the transformational with Arts Connect

The experience of artists working in school settings is typically transactional and short term, where they are hired to run workshops and pre-prepared activities for children and young people only. Occasionally artists secure longer-term residencies that enable a relationship to grow and provide the opportunity to co-create with students. For many years, artists have not been asked to devote their skills and care to teacher education…until the TDF that is.

For our partner teachers who are at the heart of our TDF funded programme Classroom as Studio, the idea that they can have an artist(s) as their creative partner for two years, devoted solely to their professional and personal growth and exploring with them new possibilities for their teaching career almost verges on the unbelievable. Equally eye-opening for our teachers is the idea that their artist partners want to learn as much as they do, want to understand our teachers as people, to get to know the school community and to engage their artistic imagination.

We know it is this early focus on relationships, that gains the trust and the support of teachers and their schools. They see that it is worth the effort, the disruption and the initial insecurity that the programme brings, as it leads to the positive change that TDF was established to enable.

Together the artists and teachers are stepping with more confidence into the shared space of a long-term creative relationship, expanding their skills, knowledge and understanding of how to get things done in the unique culture of their school. Over time we are seeing our artists transform; adopting new roles as coach, mentor and (say it softly) stepping into the business of ​‘school improvement’. Our teachers are also developing, by extending their pedagogical expertise, growing their self-concept as leaders and increasing self-belief in their artistic capabilities. If we get it right, these impacts can be wide ranging and career-long, because they feed deep motivations and support profoundly held values about what it is to be an educator and what it is children need to thrive in school. 

Embedded change is one of the hardest things to achieve. Transferring classroom-level innovation to other teachers is assumed to be straightforward but as Michael Fullan reminds us, teachers who are testing new practice need to be given the dignity of working it out for themselves. The same goes for our artist colleagues. Do they see being part of TDF as an exciting project or do they see it as a chance to think more deeply about their practice and so improve their work with everyone? 

A glimpse through the TDF archives shows that this deeper approach to developing artist practice is happening. 

We are one term into our programme, and we are already seeing ​‘lights switching on’ for our partner artists as they see the value they bring to their schools. They are beginning to see how they can go beyond their previous, school-based experiences and embrace new roles as creative advisors and mentors. To strengthen this process, we are structuring in myriad opportunities for reflection and learning with teachers, artists and school leaders. Our intention is that this will quickly move mindsets and ambitions in every school from the transactional towards the transformational.