Teaching history with objects

The British Museum have out together 100 objects to help teach history in the classroom. It is a really useful resource for schools. To find out more, click on this link. Teaching History

Quality in the Arts

Arts Council recently released a report on understanding the value and impacts of cultural experiences which helps us understand how others have asked or considered the question ‘what value do personal experiences of art and culture have for people?’ in the past, and to contribute towards our knowledge in this area. Read the Report

Grundy has partnered with three Blackpool schools (Mereside Primary, Park School and Marton Primary) to deliver a Quality Hubs project funded by Curious Minds. 

We have developed an action research question:

How do we work with schools and families to define the quality and value of arts and arts experiences? (Explored through exhibitions, competitions, events and celebrations.)

We are currently working with Infusion Research and Blackpool Council’s Corporate Development and Research team to develop a survey around quality in the arts which will be send out to all teachers in Blackpool in the new term. The results of this survey will be analysed and form the basis of a report with recommendations on how arts organisations should engage with schools. 

50 ways to use a postcard

This is a really useful article by the V&A on all the different uses for art and museum postcards. You can use them to play games, numeracy and literacy tasks, problem solving and of course understanding art in more depth. Start collecting your postcards now!

To read the article click on this link 50 ways to use a postcard

Forum about schools competitions

The next art forum will be looking around the Grundy's current exhibition by Heather Phillipson, ideas sharing and problem solving. We will also be thinking about schools art competitions; their value, structure and purpose.

Here are a few examples of the different ways other organisations approach them....

Tate St. Ives birthday competition

Tate online competition

Saatchi Gallery schools competition and exhibition

Scotland's National Gallery competition

Walker Art Gallery Liverpool competition

Teachers Digital Resource

TES Connect allows members to download and share user-generated resources free of charge forever. Search for subject specific resources to use in class.

How to work with artists....

This is a really useful resource for teachers thinking of working with artists......
Cape UK resource for teachers

Artists who use colour in extraordinary ways

Yves Klein

Dan Flavin

Yayoi Kusama

Jeff Koons

Teaching Maths with Art

A teacher from Unity Primary School in Blackpool asked me for a list of artworks and artists to use in a Maths lesson. They were learning about 3D shapes. Here are a few images from the presentation the teacher put together for the lesson and below is a list of a few more you can use to demonstrate shapes in art.

Yayoi Kusama


Sir Anthony Caro

Rachel Whiteread

Tony Cragg

Naum Gabo

Last week Grundy worked with Park School and Hawes Side School in response to our previous exhibition Collections Show. After going on a tour of collections from the people of the Fylde Coast they worked with artist, Sean Payne, to create their own collections inspired by their interests or demonstrating the things they are already beginning to collect. The project was called Future Collectors and the finished items were displayed in handmade cabinets in the foyer of the gallery for the public to see.

On the subject of collections, Grundy also asked Francesco Manacorda, Artistic Director of Tate Liverpool to come to Blackpool and talk about the major re-hang of its collection displays starting in May 2013, marking the gallery’s 25th anniversary. DLA Piper Series: Constellations explores the impact of major works from the Tate collection on art history by placing them at the heart of nine ‘constellations’ of artworks. Including over one-hundred works from the collection, many never seen before in Liverpool, the displays will reveal the many different narratives that link the artworks together.

If you would like to read more, click here....