Visual Art and Film INSET a great success

14 January 2016

On 10 December, 28 teachers from across London gathered at the Museum of London for an immersive day of making and learning in visual art and film.

Artist Alex McIntyre started things off with a series of activities that teachers could use in their classroom with simple materials likely to be found in any school. Alex’s aim was to demystify ‘art’ both for teachers and children by demonstrating how everyone who wants to express an idea can do so meaningfully through visual art.

Beginning with line drawing, the session moved on to more complex 3D sculptures that demonstrated the value of art as a tool for collaborative learning and cohesion. Teachers particularly liked an exercise through which they had to add lines to a collaborative picture, but without speaking! This activity, and more, are detailed on Alex's powerpoint.

After lunch, award-winning documentary filmmaker Rozi Peters led a wide-ranging session on filmmaking and editing, with a focus on how smartphones and tablets - readily available in most schools – can be powerful filmmaking tools. Teachers had an opportunity to interview each other and then film and edit the results, in a step-by-step fashion that could be replicated in the classroom. Combined with role play and hot-seating activities, this interviewing and filming exercise is a great way to bring historic characters and ideas to life, and even to animate key concepts in maths and science. Read Rozi’s top tips for film making.

Following the sessions was the arts ‘marketplace’, where teachers had a chance to connect with a variety of arts organisations with strong experience working in schools. Organisations included Into Film, UP projects and October Gallery.

The 10 December INSET was the first of five scheduled for the 2015-16 academic year, all of which are led by creative specialists with deep experience working in schools and educational settings.

More information and registration.

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