Human activity is dramatically evident in the huge chunk blasted out of the hillside to provide road stone for the nearby A5. This had the unexpectedly wonderful effect of laying bare the earth’s history; revealing rocks from the earliest beginnings of life on this planet.
Art
Art
Culture enriches lives, and participation in creative and cultural activities can have a significant impact on young people, by developing their appreciation, their skills and helping them to learn.
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 and the arts can help young people achieve all of the Every Child Matters outcomes.
Cultural activities also gives young people the chance to develop important life skills such as creativity.
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.
That is why a commitment was made in the Children’s Plan to work towards a position where 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 per week, in and out of school. The Find Your Talent programme looks at different ways of offering young people a range of cultural experiences.
The aim is to give young people the chance to develop as:
- informed spectators (through attending top quality theatre and dance performances, world class exhibitions, galleries, museums and heritage sites)
- participants and creators (through learning a musical instrument, playing and singing in ensembles, taking part in theatre and dance performances, producing artwork, making films and media art, or curating an exhibition).
Arts and cultural activities are also an important stimulus to develop young people’s creativity. Learning Outside the Classroom activities which give children and young people the opportunity to work on real-life challenges; handle risk; develop their capacity to think imaginatively and creatively; define and explore complex problems; use and adapt multiple resources both within their community and beyond in order to experiment and devise solutions to these problems — all of these experiences nurture the mix of thinking, imagining, facing the unknown and making things happen which are the ingredients of creativity.
School Art and Design courses provide students with a wide range of creative, exciting and stimulating opportunities to explore their artistic interests and design skills in ways that are personally relevant.
All schools aim to develop students’ ability to engage in practical ways with the processes of Art and Design. And at examination level all courses build on students’ innate creative skills through learning and doing in order to develop imaginative ways of working. They aim to enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of media, materials and technologies in historical and contemporary contexts, societies and cultures.
The educational visits that can enhance the learning experiences outside the classroom obviously include art galleries and studios, but there are now many opportunities to have hands-on experiences in a variety of skills, including sculpture, wood carving, furniture making, weaving, jewelry making, and pottery.
The BBC offer a fabulous section of their website called Your Paintings. It boasts a superb schools section which grew out of a Your Painitings Masterpieces in Schools event that took place across the country. The event gave thousands of UK school children the opportunity to experience great art close-up when a masterpiece visited their schools for the day. To support the project the BBC have curated a host of online resources including: slideshows of paintings with ideas for use in the classroom; profiles of careers in the art world; and a guide to artistic styles and movements. These cover many areas of the curriculum including History, Music, Geography, English and Drama as well as Art.
Main organisations:
National Society for Education in Art and Design
National Foundation for Educational Research
Inclusion: NASEN, and the Royal Academy of Arts runs regular sensory workshops for SEN students.
Thought of visiting?
Cardiff Art Gallery at the National Museum Cardiff
Keith Harding’s World of Mechanical Music, Gloucester
Sir Richard Arkwright’s Cromford Mill, Derbyshire
Snibston Discovery Park, Coalville, Leicestershire
Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
The National Stone Centre, Wirksworth
Articles about Art, Education and Trips on SchoolTripsAdvisor
Find out about the National Portrait Gallery's exhibition: Real Tudors: Kings & Queens Rediscovered
Venues for this Curriculum
Relics of former industrial activity, including furnaces and an old winding house, are now surrounded by woodland full of birds, while pit mounds of waste have been transformed into flower-rich grassland and heath. An abundance of bird’s-foot trefoil now feeds generations of caterpillars of Telford’s speciality butterflies, the dingy skipper and green hairstreak. Coach parking.
Lightmoor lies on the fringes of urban Telford, surrounded by the thriving communities of Lightmoor village and Doseley. Look around as you walk and you will see the history of this place. Heaps of coal, clay and ironstone waste from the 18th century mines were piled onto the medieval field patterns, and tracks, tramways and an early canal cut across the landscape.
Ford Green Hall is a 17th century timber-framed farmhouse complete with period garden. An award-winning museum, the Hall offers visitors a fascinating insight into the life of the 17th century. The rooms are furnished with an outstanding collection of textiles, ceramics and furniture.
Etruria Industrial Museum is the last steam-powered potters’ mill in Britain. The mill is ‘in steam’ several times a year when the 1903 boiler is fired and historic machinery can be seen working. Situated in a pleasant location at the junction of the Trent & Mersey, and Caldon Canals the museum is also a perfect stop-off for walkers, cyclists and boaters.
The Ceramic Cafe at Royal Stafford is a place where you can create your own unique and colourful piece of tableware or giftware in an iconic trade setting.
They provide a wide range of pieces to choose from including Plates, Cups, Mugs, Bowls, Teapots, Clowns and Teddy Bear Figurines.
In the Roald Dahl children's gallery you can boggle your eyes and baffle your brain and let your imagination run wild!
Buckinghamshire County Museum is an award winning County Museum in the attractive old town area of Aylesbury in beautifully restored buildings, some dating from the 15th century.
Splendid 18th-century English interiors in an idyllic country setting
In the 1750s at his family seat in Buckinghamshire, Ralph Verney set out to create a country house of extraordinary grandeur that would dazzle his wealthy neighbours and outdo his political rivals. Thirty years on he was facing financial ruin.
Today the interiors that remain are among the most ambitious and lavish ever created in the 18th century.
Here you can enjoy hands-on activities, exhibitions and special events in a lively and friendly atmosphere. As members of the Thames Valley Museums Family Friendly campaign Wycombe Museum is committed to giving you a warm welcome whenever you visit. General entry to the Museum is FREE.
The Pitt Rivers Museum is famous for it's period atmosphere and outstanding collections from many world cultures, past and present.
Primary schools
Bury Knowle is one of Oxford's most beautiful parks and the historic Bury Knowle House and its parkland setting provides a picturesque back-drop for picnics and events.
Introduces children of all ages to the Gallery for free through a range of fun and creative activities. Dedicated Family Guides encourages a creative pathway around the exhibition and suggests activities to try out at home plus loads more family days out activities.
A classic series of collections housed in stunning architecture. Among its most famous features are the Oxfordshire dinosaurs, the dodo, and the swifts in the tower.
The SSE Hydro plays host to national and international music mega stars as well as global entertainment and sporting events.
The People’s Palace, set in historic Glasgow Green, tells the story of the people and city of Glasgow from 1750 to the end of the 20th century.
The award-winning St Mungo Museum, named after Glasgow's patron saint, is home to inspiring displays of artefacts and stunning works of art exploring the importance of religion in peoples’ lives across the world and across time.
The spectacular Riverside Museum is home to some of the world’s finest cars, bicycles, ship models, trams and locomotives. Interactive displays and the hugely popular historic Glasgow street scene bring the objects and stories to life.
Situated in the heart of the City Centre, GoMA is Scotland's most visited modern art gallery displaying work that highlights the interests, influences and working methods of artists from around the world.
It is housed in an iconic building in the heart of Glasgow, which it shares with the city centre library. GoMA plays an important part in the city’s rich heritage.
The Cathedral of St Mungo, patron saint of Glasgow, originates from the 13th century and is the finest surviving Gothic building in Scotland the only major cathedral on the Scottish mainland to survive the Reformation.
Book a tour to visit the extraordinary store for Glasgow Museums' vast collection. Come and see our Archaeology, Art & Painting, Arms & Armour, Natural History, Transport & Technology and World Cultures collections at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (GMRC) - even when they're not on display at our venues.
Scone Palace has an exciting and colourful history as one of Scotland's most important stately homes. Fifteen hundred years ago it was the capital of the Picts. In the intervening centuries, it has been the seat of parliaments and the crowning place of the Kings of Scots, including Macbeth and Robert The Bruce.
The Scottish holiday home to the Royal Family
Set amongst the magnificent scenery of Royal Deeside, in the shadows of Lochnagar is the Balmoral Estate.
In her journals Queen Victoria described Balmoral as "my dear paradise in the Highlands" - we hope you will feel the same way about Balmoral once you have visited this most special place.
The Guildhall is a prestigious historic building, with acres of oak and walnut panelling, marble floors and the city’s old courts and cells.
Not only is it the owrking home of Hull City Council, but it houses a public collection that includes fine art, sculpture, furniture, the Hull Tapestry and the Civic Insignia and silver.
Hull Tapestry
Something for everyone...
Enjoy a great day out at Trentham. Visit the award-winning Trentham Gardens, for shopping and eating out, peace and quiet, fun and action!
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