The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

We will first outline five main areas of activity. These areclassified not — as in the Arts Council paper — according tothe different art forms, but according to different types ofcontact and organisation. They are:a Artists in Education schemes. These bring practisingartists into schools for specific projects only eg TheArts Council's Writers in Schools scheme.b Arts education companies. These are companies whichhave a primary commitment to educational issues andobjectives eg Theatre in Education.e Arts/education liaison schemes, ie those which areadministered by professional companies — eg EnglishNational Opera and Ballet Rambert — and which aim tofoster links between the companies' work and schoolsthrough education packs, workshops etc.d Arts centrese Other schemes183 Artists Artists in Education schemes now extend across all the majorinart forms. They vary considerably in length and format. WeEducation can distinguish generally between visits and residencies.184 Visits In 1969, the Arts Council, in conjunction with the Departmentof Education and Science, established a scheme toencourage working writers to visit schools, colleges of furtherand higher education and in-service teachers' courses. Writersin Schools provides for single visits, although further visitsmay be arranged. The format and content will vary accordingto the writer and the group concerned — it may be areading, a talk and discussion or a writing workshop. Poetsin Schools is organised by the Poetry Society and funded byW H Smith and Sons Ltd. Not only is this more specialised,it also provides for longer contact between the artist and thegroup. The poet visits the school three times, working eachtime for a whole morning or afternoon with 20 or so childrenwho have shown particular interest in the scheme. Duringthe first two visits he or she aims to stimulate the children'sown writing. After the second visit he or she makes a personalselection from the children's work to be included in ananthology which is produced for the final visit. This is apublic event in the evening for parents, friends and teachersand includes reading of the pupils' and the poet's work. 2Writers on Tour is organised by the Arts Council in conjunctionwith regional arts associations and local educationauthorities. It provides for groups of four writers at a time tovisit the same area, to give public readings in the evening andto visit local schools during the day. The general aim is to112