Enquire: Inspiring Learning in Galleries 02

enquire: inspiring learning in galleries 02

Background and context

Aims and rationale of the enquire programme

enquire started in 2004, and the original brief drawn up by engage and Arts Council England stated that ‘tthe programme will result in increased activity and more confident delivery of education/learning initiatives in the art gallery on an ongoing basis, particularly through strengthened partnerships with schools and other agencies, enhanced project management, and better methodologies for delivery and evaluation. The focus on continuing professional development (CPD) and support for gallery educators and clients – including teachers and pupils – will contribute to sustainability and towards the building of a knowledgeable community. It will also feed into an overarching CPD framework for museums and gallery educators’ (1).

The structure for the programme was established as ‘clusters’ or teams in different regions across England, each comprising galleries, schools/youth groups, artists and a university. The clusters would work collaboratively to plan and deliver exciting opportunities for children and young people to engage with galleries, contemporary art and artists. The team would also work together to research the learning benefits to children and young people, and the conditions that enable that learning.

Phase 1, 2004-6, involved three clusters and was reported in Inspiring Learning in Galleries published Autumn 2006. In phase 2, 2006-8, the programme expanded to involve seven clusters. This publication focuses on the research findings and distils what has been discovered about how and what young people learn through working with contemporary art galleries and with artists. Each of the clusters has organised different projects and has addressed different research questions. The result is a huge amount of rich and diverse data and fascinating case studies that cannot b be fully described here. Details about the clusters, the projects with children and young people and the full research reports can be found at

It is also important to emphasise that the research is just one outcome of a rich and varied programme. Other outcomes and legacies are discussed in the section Outcomes, legacies, implications.

Most of the projects have been organised with schools but some in phase 2 have concentrated on at-risk or hard to reach young people, or have worked with self-directed young people who have been recruited individually and become closely involved in the gallery and its work.

The projects have introduced to children and young people, or extended their experience of, a wide range of art and different media – including drawing, painting, mail art, installation, sculpture, poetry, viv deo, animation, printmaking and performance art. Participants have had the opportunity to see work by artists who exhibit internationallya as well as more local exhibitions, and whilst some projects have been brief, the majority have enabled sustained involvement with a gallery and the chance to work alongside an artist.

At the heart of enquire lies enjoyable, fulfilling and extending experiences for children and young people who have been given exciting opportunities to engage with galleries and with contemporary art alongside artists, gallery educators and teachers as researchers and co-learners.

I’m not going to do that cheesy life changing stuff, but it’s really, really great. It’s really artistically thriving. You can do whatever you like. … It’s more than I ever thought would happen. … Since being here we’ve never wanted to leave, there’s not enough time to look round everything. … There’s not enough hours in the day. I had to take two sets of batteries with me each day as I took so many pictures. It was crazy. Young person

Fundamental to the success of enquire in meeting its declared aims has been the establishment of the ‘cluster’ model, which has been more significant than first envisaged. Working in teams has enabled greater planning, review and reflection between the gallery educators, teachers/youth leaders and artists, and this has led to particularly successful projects. It has also provided valuable peer support and non-formal professional development, which has led to stronger partnerships, a greater understanding of the different roles and aims of each, and developed skills that will inform future work. This aspect of enquire and ‘communities of critical enquirers’ are discussed in more detail in ‘Inspiring Learning in Galleries’, the enquire phase 1 report (Taylor 2006).

It is notable that the conditions for learning and the learning benefits of gallery projects for the young participants are mirrored in the experience of the adult professionals. They all cite the value of co-learning, of recognising and utilising the skills and ideas of others, and acknowledge learning benefits such as increased confidence, and understanding and respecting the views of others.

By working with the class and the teachers as well, you're leaving something with the teachers, the teachers are learning and you're learning from the teachers, and the kids, I've no doubt, will be teaching the staff as well. Artist

In addition to this non-formal learning, enquire has organised formal professional development events for gallery educators, artists and teachers working on the programme, and also a number of seminars for the wider gallery and education sectors.

The research findings and case studies from enquire are a valuable tool for advocacy and are being widely disseminated, including through this publication. Once again, the cluster model is proving a practical way for galleries to promote their work at a local and regional level, and develop new networks and partnerships.

Context

enquire is one strand of a government initiative, Strategic Commissioning for Museum and Gallery Education. The programme supports the Museums Libraries Archives Council, national museums and galleries and Arts Council England to develop greater capacity amongst museums and galleries to deliver increasingly effective educational activities. enquire is managed by engage, the National Association for Gallery Education, in partnership with Arts Council England, and concentrates on galleries that exhibit contemporary art.

Since 2004, Strategic Commissioning has built on a series of other government programmes such as the Museums and Galleries Education Programme (MGEP) which was established in 1999. Funds were available for museums and galleries (and related organisations) in England to improve the quality of museum and gallery education services by drawing on existing best practice, spreading good practice more widely, and increasing the number of museums and galleries offering good quality education services (Hooper-Greenhill et al. 2002).

The establishment of Cultural Hubs in three areas of the country in 2005 was designed, among other things, to explore a model for developing educational services and learning in museums and galleries. In 2000 a Task Force was established under then-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lord Smith of Finsbury, in response to people's growing concerns about the state of England's regional museums and galleries. Its recommendations presented a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform them’ through a new, integrated framework for the museums sector based on a network of regional 'hubs' consisting of one museum and gallery service with two or three satellite partners. Key aims of the Hubs were to promote excellence, be leaders of regional museum practice, to improve their educational services and facilities, and to build capacity and increase staff skills. As a result, the learning and education potential of museums would be improved, with collaborative links with schools and colleges instigated to ensure museums contribute to formal education as well as to lifelong learning (Evans et al. 2001).

In 2004 Arts Council England undertook a review of the presentation of the contemporary visual arts, which involved several pieces of research. The Burns Owen Partnership survey into the sector found that there are approximately 1,200 galleries in England programming contemporary visual art, and that there is a strong commitment in the sector to education and outreach, especially for young people. Museums and galleries have 36%, the highest percentage, of all schoolchild visits in England to attractions. Education activity in individual arts organisations rose by more than 75% from 2002 to 2003 and overall attendance at workshops was up 19% in 2003 to 2004 alone (Burns Owens 2005).

These strong and positive statistics about the educational role of galleries were found despite some more negative data:

• education was only 4% of total expenditure for visual arts organisations in 2002/03

• only a third of organisations have dedicated education staff

• the average number of dedicated education and outreach staff is just over one person per organisation

The review resulted in Arts Council England’s visual arts strategy, Turning Point (Hadley 2006: 27-29) which has five priorities, one of which is ‘audiences, participation and education’. It states ‘Education in galleries is a very distinct practice, benefiting from the professional involvement of artists as teachers, collaborators, activists and mentors. This has given gallery education a real edge and experimental quality. The work of education departments is the main route through which many young people are attracted to become involved in galleries as audiences and as practitioners. Through international contacts, collaborations and partnerships, many of them initiated by the independent gallery education agency, engage, it is clear that practice in the UK is leading the world.’

The report continues, ‘The contemporary visual arts are making a distinctive contribution to the curriculum. Galleries and museums are playing an important part in helping schools to make their teaching methods more varied and to respond more effectively to the needs of individual pupils.‘

And further, ‘We will continue to encourage organisations to focus on education and learning to encourage ‘intelligent’ audiences, participants who will engage with art and artistic practice to develop their own creativity and reflective skills. We will continue to support organisations such as the independent gallery education agency, engage, which is pioneering innovation in participatory learning.’

Supporting Excellence in the Arts. From Measurement to Judgement(McMaster 2008) is another significant report that places a fresh emphasis on the importance of both excellence – involving innovation and risk – and inclusion. In 2007 the government commissioned Sir Brian McMaster to investigate and report on:

- how the system of public sector support for the arts can encourage excellence,

risk-taking and innovation

- how artistic excellence can encourage wider and deeper engagement with the

arts by audiences

-how to establish a light touch and non-bureaucratic method to judge the quality of

the arts in the future

In his foreword James Purnell, then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, writes, ‘This review will mark a real shift in how we view and talk about the arts in this country. The time has come to reclaim the word “excellence” from its historic, elitist undertones and to recognise that the very best art and culture is for everyone; that it has the power to change people’s lives, regardless of class, education or ethnicity’ (p. 4).

The Executive Summary goes on to state: ‘It is vital that young people are given the chance to experience culture within and outside school, and that this experience is excellent. Cultural organisations must be proactive in meeting the extra demand for their work that the ‘cultural offer’ will generate. They must ensure that the activity that makes up this offer is of the highest standard, reflecting the diversity and internationalism highlighted in this report.

As well as developing the cultural education of young people and allowing them to reach their potential, cultural organisations need to embrace continuing professional development for their staff. A more strategic approach to mentoring and networking for all practitioners is required, with young practitioners given the opportunity to better experience the work of others and artists and practitioners able to continue to develop their practice throughout their careers’ (p. 7).

The momentum that has been building up behind museum and gallery education for the last decade has culminated in the concept of the ‘Cultural Offer’ and the associated Find Your Talent initiative that were announced in Spring 2008. The ‘Find Your Talent’ prospectus (2) explains why the offer is being developed:

‘Culture enriches lives. Participation in cultural activities can have a significant impact on young people’s development. This has been shown repeatedly in international studies, and has also been backed up by recent evaluations of major programmes such as Creative Partnerships and Museums’ Strategic Commissioning. What these evaluations have shown is that culture can help young people achieve all of the Every Child Matters outcomes.

As well as being valuable and enjoyable in its own right, participation in cultural activities also gives young people the chance to develop important life skills such as creativity, confidence, self-discipline, effective communication and the ability to work in teams.

These skills are particularly important in a world of rapid technological and social change where the cultural and creative industries are increasingly important to our economic future. These industries already account for 7.3% of all economic activity in the UK, contributing £60 billion to the economy, and this is only going to grow’ (p. 2).

‘Matching this economic driver is a powerful moral imperative – the intrinsic right of all children to have the opportunity to develop their talents to the full.

For these reasons the Government is committed to developing, over the next five years, a comprehensive Cultural Offer. This will ensure that all children and young people no matter where they live or what their background, have the chance to participate in at least five hours of high quality culture a week in and out of school.’

As this publication goes to print ten Pathfinder projects have been selected, many of which will include galleries as partners. Strategic Commissioning for Museum and Gallery Education now comes under the umbrella of the Cultural Offer and in phase 3, 2008/9, enquire is extending and complementing the work of the Find your Talent (Pathfinder) consortia. Through enquire more than thirty galleries across England are developing their capacity and partnerships to deliver excellent, increasingly effective educational work for more children and young people.

The Cultural Offer is a strong demonstration of the government’s recognition of the value of the arts, and the opportunities that cultural organisations – including galleries and museums – can provide for young people to extend their experience, develop their creativity and realise their potential. This policy initiative is particularly compelling because it is strategically linked to a review of the national curriculum that attaches great importance to personalised learning, creativity and learning outside the classroom.

Art Education in England

Education policy in England over the last decade, even more than culture, has been characterised by a stream of new initiatives and objectives which affect art education and the context within which galleries work with the education sector.

Since the national curriculum was introduced, following the Education Reform Act 1988, the Art and Design curriculum has explicitly stated that students should have opportunities to study real works of art – rather than in reproduction – and by living artists. However, a study into what is actually taught in art and design lessons, ‘School art: What’s in it? Exploring visual arts in secondary schools’ (Downing & Watson 2004) carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) revealed that the majority of teaching references reproductions of works by dead artists – and who are predominantly male and European.

However, many art and design teachers have recognised the considerable benefits for their students – and their own practice as artists and teachers – of using the resource of galleries and contemporary exhibitions. In addition, concepts such as personalised learning, children and young people’s personal and social development, citizenship, diversity, gaining vital IT skills, the emphasis on creativity, developing links with the community, community cohesion and recognition of the importance of the Creative Industries to employment and the economy are all areas that galleries could – and sometimes do - address and resource.

The enquire research evidences many of the ways that galleries, schools and artists working together can tackle and deliver on these issues. It demonstrates the different resources, skills and experience available through these partnerships. It shows how working in galleries complements and extends work in school, offers more varied and new media, develops ideas and greater understanding about contemporary art, contributes to developing vital life skills and can support learning across the curriculum. And how experience of working with galleries and artists can increase interest and application in school.