Name of school/project
The Young Gallery (various schools, Glasgow East / North Ayrshire / South Lanarkshire) 2014 / 15.
Key Facts
The Young Gallery’s Creative Team (Artist and Creative Assistant) delivered 8 creative projects (8 workshops per group/ total of 64 workshops) across 8 primary schools and nurseries in Glasgow’s East End between September 2014 and August 2015. We engaged 216 children (88 boys/128 girls), aged between 3 and 12 years old. With the Creative Team, children explored various themes within the workshops including sectarianism, tolerance and respect, identity, community and aspirations for the future.
Projects were developed to meet a number of outcomes relative to curriculum for excellence and GIRFEC. The Young Gallery’s overarching outcomes are:
- Children have increased confidence and self-esteem
- Children realise their potential
- Children have increased coping skills
- Children have increase engagement with education
- Improved knowledge and awareness amongst professionals of creative approaches
For information on The Young Gallery projects and exhibitions for 2016/17, click here.
How it developed
Impact Arts’ Lead Tutor produces themed project plans prior to each project, based on a number of issues which are influenced by local and national priority outcomes, and curriculum for excellence / GIRFEC outcomes. Projects are themed generally around the themes of health and wellbeing, citizenship, equality and diversity, and self-awareness. The lead tutor delivers 8 x 2 hour workshops in class with an assistant. Creative workshops include: animation, sculpture, plaster casts, painting, pattern marking, printing, storyboards, set design and construction, collage and mark making. Children are encouraged to explore techniques and create their own individually themed work for exhibition in the Young Gallery, which is a professional level gallery space based in the East End of Glasgow. Additionally, children will have the opportunity to work together and produce larger pieces of work / installations, which are then installed by Impact Arts staff in the gallery. Children are invited to a launch ceremony, which Impact Arts provides transport for, where they receive a certificate and see their work in the gallery. Gallery exhibitions are open to the public thereafter for at least two weeks. The whole process is geared towards children having opportunities to realise their own potential through creative approaches, to have stronger engagement with education by diversifying coursework from the usual curriculum, and give children the opportunity to raise their confidence and self-esteem, again through the creative process, but also through the celebration of their work in a professional level gallery.
What pupils gained and how effective the project was
The children’s work was exhibited at The Young Gallery, Sword Street in exhibitions titled: The Power of Words, Paper Doll, Everyone is Awesome and Futurism. Just over 400 visitors have attended so far, including parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers, representatives from Nordoff Robbins (our Stage 2 partners) and the local general public. Each child received a Certificate of Achievement at the launch of their exhibition.
Projects have led to significant increased outcomes for children, which can be evidence through tutor and teacher assessment (indicators checklists), and through self-assessment and evaluation by the children.
The bar graphs above demonstrate outcomes for children who engaged in young gallery projects between August 2014 and June 2015.
Additionally, the project is recognised as valuable Continuous Professional Development for teaching staff, giving them the opportunity to observe a professional artist over a series of sessions and develop their own approaches to creative projects within the class environment.
Is it sustainable?
The Young Gallery project is currently funded for delivery in Glasgow East alongside the Art Therapy Programme by Lloyds PDI, the Rayne Foundation, the Robertson Trust and Children in Need.
The project has also been commissioned by local authorities, and is available on a cost by cost basis. Public sector agencies including Clyde Avon Valley Landscape Partnership have also commissioned the project in the past to work with local schools for a specific outcome e.g. public event.
What costs did you incur?
Projects are costed on an individual basis.
Did you involve other partners?
The Young Gallery project works very closely with individual schools, local authorities, social work departments (art therapy), health (art therapy), third sector community organisations, and other creative projects and organisations in and around the area, including Glasgow Life and Glasgow Youth Arts Hub.
What support did you get?
The projects requires a suitable space to work in the school (e.g. class room / activity area). Impact Arts manage all resources e.g. staff costs / materials / exhibition costs / transport costs etc
Contact details
Rob Gallagher-Reilly, Programme Manager
E: rgallagher@impactarts.co.uk
T: 07530 916 360
