The October Gallery contacted me about an exciting new project they are running that uses their artists to teach global citizenship through art and design. Accompanying teaching resources can be found on their website and they have recently offered a range of free CPD practical seminars.
The London based gallery exhibits contemporary art from all cultures of the world. Their current exhibition by Aubrey Williams is called Now and Coming Time.
I recently came across the British Council’s e-twinning project; a free web platform which enables EU schools to link up and work together on curriculum-based projects (including projects which cover citizenship).
There are lesson plans and ready-made project kits with step-by-step guides. The kits relate to different themes and clearly indicate which subjects and age group they are targeted at.
You can find out more on their website.
On Wednesday Sir Keith Ajegbo, a Citizenship Foundation trustee, spoke at a cohesion conference held by Waltham Forest Council.
As part of a new initiative introduced by the council, teachers and students are being taught how to spot signs of extremist attitudes in schools.
Sir Keith Ajegbo, former Head of Deptford Green School, and author of the report to the Secretary of State for Education and Science on diversity and citizenship within the school curriculum, asked: ‘Given the coverage of something like Islam in the papers, how can schools deal with it in a measured way? What is the responsibility for heads in terms of the concerns they may have regarding views of pupils or parents?’
A couple of weeks ago I met with Gabriela Flores at the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to discuss the projects they run for young people. They all sound fantastic, but I was particularly inspired by Young Brits at Art, a competition running now for young people aged 11 – 19.
Young Brits at Art asks young people to explore issues around equality and human rights through art. Not only are the results amazing – I’ve got copies of two of last year’s winning entries taped to my desk because I love them so much – but teachers can also use the resources to support delivery of citizenship, and in particular the key concepts Rights and Responsibilities and Identity and Diversity.
I asked the team at the EHRC to send through more details about this year’s competition. Here they are:
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has re-launched its Young Brits at Art awards, inviting 11-19 year olds from all walks of life to express their vision of this year’s theme: ‘What would the world look like if we lived without prejudice?’
This academic year, Young Brits at Art offers new resources for educators which complement and reinforce learning under the National Curriculum in England and Wales and the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland. The resources aim to model good practice in facilitating young people’s creative work exploring equality and human rights. They are also designed to help educators and group leaders organise activities to support young people’s entries to the Young Brits at Art awards. Find out more about the resources here.
The awards can benefit young people in schools, youth clubs, Connexions services, pupil referral units, faith groups, libraries, leisure centres and other local council facilities. Charities and museums can use the awards as part of their existing youth programmes. Individual young people can also develop their own artwork and enter independently.
After the success of the first year of the awards in 2009, Young Brits at Art 2010 includes new categories such as photography, sculpture and motion animation, as well as its previous sections for painting and drawings. Our goal is to get more schools and youth centres involved by providing new and innovative resources that support the teaching of arts and citizenship as well as ongoing work with young people outside the school system. We will also host 45 artist-led workshops to support those taking part, with a particular emphasis on young people from disabled, hard to reach and vulnerable backgrounds.
For more information and to sign up to the awards, visit the website.
Young Brits at Art is part of a wider programme of work with young people, for more information visit www.equalityhumanrights.com/youth.
I was pleased to see that the Speaker’s Conference on Parliamentary Representation recommended in their final report (published on Monday) that in ‘England, the Department for Children Schools and Families should work with headteachers and with Ofsted to ensure that the importance of citizenship is better understood and the subject is taught with quality and appropriate breadth. In the devolved administrations, the equivalent authorities should consider a similar approach in the relevant curriculum areas’. (more…)
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