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Practice exemplar: An arts-based approach to community cohesion

Resources

The Pop Up Design Store

What is this?

This is an example of a class project in a rural primary school that aimed to address social unrest between the Gypsy/Traveller and settled communities. The exemplar describes the challenge and how the communinty collaborated to seek a local solution.

Who is it for?

The resource is for school leadership teams and practitioners in both primary and secondary schools.  It suggests how an interdisciplinary approach with Art & Design, Social Studies and English can be used to explore positive relationships to, and within, the local environment.

How to use this exemplar to improve practice?

The resource can be used in settings and schools by practitioners. The participation model can be replicated in other situations and settings. The lessons can be adapted to other themes.

Gretna Primary School case study

What was done?

STEP collaborated with Gretna Primary School and an artist to design a project with the aim of promoting community cohesion between the Gypsy/Traveller and non-Traveller communities – both in and out of school.

P6 and P7 pupils from non-Traveller and the Gypsy/Traveller community took part in the workshops. The pupils identified common  interests in the local area. They developed their ideas to produce a range of designed products, which formed the basis of a Pop-up design store.

Families and extended community attended the launch of the exhibition and participated in group discussions about preserving a cohesive community.

 

Why?

This project was based in Gretna, a small town struggling with significant conflict between the settled and travelling communities. Community tensions had begun to seep into the local school with pupils from both communities forming closed groups.  STEP supported an artist in residence to be based in Gretna Primary School to deliver a series of workshops that would bring both communities together.   The workshops were held in an open creative space at the heart of the school.

 

What was the impact?

  • The exhibition showed how using things that are familiar to the children’s lives provided a common starting point for dialogue, critical thinking and self-expression that cuts across all cultures (ice cream, animals, nature, flowers, etc).
  • The children were able to witness the value of even the simplest of ideas when they saw them transformed into professional art and design works.
  • The idea of producing objects with commercial appeal (e.g. canvas bags or mugs which could be sold) resonated with Gypsy/Traveller and settled communities; it was motivating for parents to see a link between what children learn in school and their future employment, creativity and success in life.
  • Parents expressed pride in seeing their children’s work being valued and celebrated.
  • Staff suggested that the project had broken down barriers between staff and parents.

The pop-up shop

Clocks, cups, place mats, bags, mirrors

The exhibition

Hosting the Minister for Children and young people

Exploring digital effects

A local landmark

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Exploring digital effects

Research

Favourite building

RESEARCH

Exploring the local area

Developing ideas

Who i live with

developing ideas

Favourite foods

Exploring digital effects

Ice cream design

Exploring digital effects

Sharing emotions

The end of the exhibition

Postcards from Gretna

The evaluation wall

Asking for feeback from visitors

Improvement questions

  • How do we ensure there is an ethos and culture of inclusion, participation and positive relationships across the whole learning community?
  • To what extent does our school celebrate diversity?
  • How well do we communicate with parents, partners and learning across these key themes?
  • How well do we know the steps we have taken have improved outcomes for children?