TEACHER ARTIST PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME

International Seminar 26 - 28 April 2007

The UK: education policy

Different frameworks in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

National curriculum 5 - 16 years

Strong focus on measuring attainment, assessment by testing and performance indicators

Public examinationsevery 2/3 yrs from age 7

Professional development linked to teacher workforce ‘standards’ (implications for pay and conditions)

Government policy - ‘Every Child Matters’ and ‘Extended Schools’: New Labour rhetoric of ‘social inclusion’, enterprise, ‘active citizenship’ and partnership

Now ‘creativity’ has been added to the mix

Educational Structures in the UK

• Early years (2 -5): mixture of provision: private, voluntary, state

• Primary schools 5 - 11

• Secondary schools 11 - 16 or 11 - 18. Diverse range of types of schools - increasingly ‘specialist’ but generally non-selective. Not everyone goes to their local school. Rhetoric of ‘parental choice’ can lead to problems of equity and equal opportunity.

• Further education 16 - 19 - stronger focus on learning skills for work

• Big investment in new buildings and resources with ‘partnership’ one of the key words

• Education is a massive part of the UK economy

Underlying agendas…

• Considerable pressure from government to diversify sources of income, develop public-private partnerships and involve business in education. Continual qualifications reform.

• Funding comes through local authorities but schools are expected to raise money from other sources

• Arts education more central than it used to be, but questions of creative learning remain…

• How to develop a ‘relevant’ curriculum which responds to cultural diversity and socio-economic inequality, particularly in complex urban settings like London

creative partnerships in education

different contexts, different rhetorics…

but becoming more prominent in policy. So… more money? more professional development? more research needed?

Provided by:

Arts Education AgenciesSchools. Colleges and universitiesCreative PartnershipsCommunity organisationsArtists and arts organisationsCultural and creative industries

Funded by:Central government schemesArts Council EnglandTrusts & FoundationsUrban Regeneration InitiativesLocal Education AuthoritiesEU resources

Creative partnerships in the networked city take many different forms, for example…

• Museum and gallery ‘outreach’• Work in neighbourhoods for

festivals and events• Educational work in hospitals,

prisons and social services• Work designed to support the

school curriculum• Projects designed to develop

innovation and imaginative play• New media creates possibilities

for rapid communication and connectivity

Policy & Practice: dilemmasWhat is creativity in education for?

What are the roles of the artist in school?

Who gets to be an artist in school? Children? Teachers? Visiting artists? How do we make those relationships work?

Where can learning in the arts take place? How can a school connect with cultural organisations and the work of artists?

What do teachers, artists and students need to let creativity flourish?

policy and practice: what is needed

• Partnerships - to take learning beyond the classroom setting

• Creating more ‘authentic’ contexts for learning

• new ways of thinking about teaching, learning and leadership

• New models for professional development of artists and teachers, working together on shared questions and concerns

This has major implications for how cultural learning happens both in schools and other institutions - museums, galleries, theatres, etc. This means:

focusing on quality of relationships(building trust)

open and flexible institutions

people need skills in connecting, brokering, mediation, conflict resolution

new kinds of cultural and educational organisations that enable people to make connections and which work through networks in cities and communities

Some implications: we need to

understand organisational and interpersonal dynamics and motivations

acknowledge power relationships, be prepared to be self-critical and engage strategically with policy and politics from where we are

be flexible but not exploitative with time, space and staffing

have a commitment to collaboration

be analytical about what we mean by ‘partnership’

the TAPP approach…

• Partnership learning• Collaborative and interdisciplinary

arts practice• Principle of experimentation and

reflection, rather than fixed outcomes

• Learning through projects which take place over time

• Opportunities for professional learning and exchange at every level - staff and students

• International dimension - building networks for change

• Develops learner flexibility, collaboration and risk-taking..teachers, artists and students learning together

Issues…

• Funders/policy makers have difficulty matching this level of integration - causes tensions and difficulties

• Reconciliation of democratic values and collaborative practices with target driven accountability cultures of public services

• Starting small and working at an appropriate scale, but sharing knowledge widely

• How to take appropriate risks in a risk-averse public sector culture

TAPP - A year-long action research programme

12 teaching sessions (one residential)12 teachers/12 artistspersonalised learningobservations of practiceartists and teachers in a joint programmecerebral/theoretical contentinternational exchangetutorial supportportfolio submissionsaccredited by institute of Education, University of London

Who is TAPP?

• London International Festival of Theatre

• Guildhall School of Music and Drama

• Newham Sixth Form College

• CapeUK

• Animarts

• Proactive Learning from Early Years

…and a network of practitioners, artists and teachers working…funded by a mixture of government, trusts and foundations…involved in these debates and issues in many different settings

TAPP

• Deliberately brings people together across different sectors of education (early years, primary, secondary, further education and universities)

• Deliberately encourages artists and teachers with different disciplinary backgrounds to discuss shared concerns

• Is committed to the principle of collaborative and student-centred learning, with participants’ own creativity at the centre of the learning experience

The purpose of this seminar…To exchange perspectives on and experiences of arts education in Europe

To seed new collaborations and dialogues

To work within a shared learning framework

To explore what creative pedagogy means

To explore how partnerships between teachers and artists work in a wide variety of settings

For TAPP

Beth Martin CoordinatorJenny Maddox AdministratorAnna Ledgard Lead TutorGraham Jeffery TutorTony Fegan TutorLesley Hutchison research/evaluationDavid Jenkins research/evaluationAylwyn Walsh research assistant/Lift PlacementPat Cochrane CAPEUKLesley Burgess Institute of EducationAlessio Romani InterpreterEmma Pooley VolunteerInes Tercio InterpreterRachel Fell Interpreter

www.tapprogramme.orgadmin@tapprogramme.org