‘The message needs to be got across that art isn't just working on A4
or A3 paper on desks. These days the curriculum says that art should be ceramics, large-scale 3D work, textiles, plaster and
clay. These materials need specialist facilities.’
Frome Community College,
Somerset
‘Be assertive. Decide on your minimum specific space and stick to it,
whatever happens.’
Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
The Clore Duffield Foundation commissioned this investigation into the ideal art education spaces
within schools, galleries and museums through the Artworks programme, in partnership with the Arts Council England,
Heritage Lottery Fund, Creative Partnerships, the Department for Education and Skills and the Qualifications and Curriculum
Authority.
The findings of this research are published as a handbook for creative learning environments, Space for Art.
Please click here to download the handbook as a pdf file
Copies of the published report are available from the Clore Duffield Foundation at the cost of £5.00 including post
and packing. Please email cloreduffield@aol.com for details.
The handbook is based on material collected through a wide-ranging consultative exercise to gather data, experiences and
opinions on the ideal art education space. This included a series of focus groups with gallery staff, art teachers, architects,
artists and pupils; a questionnaire sent to 2000 art teachers; a questionnaire sent to 845 galleries and museums; workshops
with children; and focus groups with architects (the latter organised and funded by Arts Council England).
Teachers:
Click here to download the questionnaire "Creative Spaces for
the visual arts in schools"
Click here to download a brief summary of the findings from this survey
Museum and Gallery educators:
Click here to download the questionnaire "Creative Spaces for
the visual arts in museums and galleries"
Click here to download a brief summary of the findings from this survey
The most detailed, and illuminating, findings came from a diverse range of in-depth case studies of art education spaces
in 11 schools and ten galleries - carried out in consultation with managers and users of the spaces, including gallery
educators, artists, teachers, pupils and architects. These case studies were drawn from across the UK and spanned
national and local-authority galleries, and state, independent, primary and secondary, special needs, rural and urban
schools. Not one of these case studies cited their art education space, or their experiences in developing it, as perfect.
There were lessons to learn from each - both from their successes and their failures.
The full text of all 21 case studies is available here, by clicking on the name of the school, gallery or museum. At present,
the case studies are presented purely as text documents. In the near future, we hope to be able to add images.
Schools:
Caol Primary School, Fort William
Castle Community Special School, Walsall
Cowbridge Comprehensive School, Vale of Glamorgan
English Martyrs School & VI Form College, Hartlepool
Frome Community School, Somerset
Hampton Junior School, Middlesex
Hythe Community School, Kent
Icknield High School, Luton
Millfield School, Somerset
St Ebbes Primary School, Oxford
Wentworth High School, Manchester
Galleries and museums:
ArtSway, Sway, Hampshire
Camden Arts Centre, London
Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
Grizedale Arts, Cumbria
Manchester Art Gallery
The New Art Gallery, Walsall
The Study Gallery, Poole
Tate Liverpool
The Turner Centre, Margate
The Whitechapel Art Gallery, London
