Lead Creative Schools
What is Lead Creative Schools ?
We have been involved in Lead Creative Schools for 3 years and this year we engaged in a collaborative project with another local school to introduce them to the opportunities Lead Creative Schools creates
Over six hundred schools have taken part in the Lead Creative Schools scheme. Our school gains access to creative professionals, their skills and resources to improve teaching and learning.
In Lead Creative Schools, pupils, teachers and creative professionals work together to implement creative projects. This collaborative process encourages an environment where learners can ask questions, leading to learners being more involved in decision making while bringing the curriculum to life.
Working with Creative Agents, schools can gain access to professionals with the practical experience of creativity that they need. These Creative Agents have backgrounds in a variety of sectors; the arts, creative industries, sciences and heritage to name a few. All our Creative Agents share our aim to sustain new practice in the field of creative learning.With the guidance and support of their Creative Agents, schools can recruit the appropriate Creative Practitioners to match their needs. These Creative Practitioners develop relationships based on trust and openness with school staff. An important part of their role is the ability to share their personal creative journeys with learners and show pathways into careers in the creative sector.
Our Creative Practitioner - Jim Elliot
I have been incredibly lucky to work with Ysgol Esgob Morgan for two years as part of Arts Council Wales Lead Creative Schools project.
In the first year we focused on using animation to tell stories in a mixture of Welsh and English. The children experimented with different techniques and styles of animation. We worked a lot with plasticine and made some great short films.The pupils built up their skills not only in using technology and making models, but also in creating and telling stories.
In the second year we worked with the youngest children, and pupils from St Asaph Infants School, to build an artistic profile of St Asaph. We drew pictures, made models, took photographs, studied and drew maps, wrote pamphlets, did surveys, learned some coding and a whole bunch of other stuff.We started building a HUGE model of the city when we suddenly had to stop.
On both projects my role, as a Creative Practitioner, was to listen to what the staff and pupils wanted to make, and work out how they could do it. The work produced on the project is completely owned by the children who made it. I was just there to enable, guide and occasionally offer suggestions.
It's a privilege to work in this school. The learning atmosphere is fantastic, the enthusiasm from the pupils (and staff) is inspiring, and I believe that the children really got something unique out of it.
What was so unusual about this project was the support from the school at all levels. Sometimes it's a real struggle to do anything out of the ordinary within an academic institution. The fact that they were open to try different ways of learning was refreshing and liberating.
I hope the pupils and staff will carry on making, animating and just being the awesome creative individuals they have shown themselves to be.
It's been a blast! Thanks everybody.
Our Creative Agent - Jan Davies
Gelert
Yr anniddisgwyl
