I have worked as an artist in education for over thirty years. I am not a teacher, I am an artist who found himself working with any age from nursery to degree students.
I think sometimes that I could write the book on arts in education. I have travelled through many parts of east, west, mid and south Wales, for a one day workshop to a weeks’ worth of arts activities or what I call a “working residency”. I have worked with historical themes, the environment, social themes, the built environment, exploring mediums, drawing, painting, print, collage, sculpture, murals and most topics on the curriculum.
I have worked with galleries and museums, with poetry and poets and enjoyed producing exhibitions and publications that celebrate the wonderful work produced and the rich experiences undertaken. I have written on aspects of running workshops in schools and created and participated in many programmes and residencies, arranged and funded by a wide range of organisations.
I use always, the work of one or more artists as a starting point or point of reference. The one thing I insist on doing is to allow participants of all ages to see the work of those who make their living as artists in their own community. To generate not only an awareness of the talent that exists within their locality, their country, but to develop pride in who they are.
The one thing I would say to those who doubt the usefulness of the arts in education is that they are missing the fact that the arts are not only a fabulously rich resource for the teacher and the pupil, it is, if you take the time to look, an integral part of our daily experience. It is just that we cannot see it. On this website I can only profile a few of my involvements.
