At Canterbury, we believe that art and creativity is essential and this is encouraged in our curriculum and forms part of our ethos. We aim to be dynamic in developing creative and artistic minds.
During our art lessons we develop fine motor skills with the use of different tools. We use a paintbrush, a crayon, pencils, chalk or clay to make our hand muscles strong. We solve problems by organising our thoughts on paper. We learn that black and white are not colours, but tones. At Canterbury, we discuss different artists in our lessons and ask: “How did Michealangelo paint the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel?” Or, “Why did Vincent cut off his ear?”
We focus on having fun during our lessons but we also discuss our thoughts and listen to others as they discuss their thoughts. Art then becomes therapeutic and a counselling session for most.
Most of all, art at our school develops confidence. Some children will say, “I don’t know how to draw.” But this is simply not true. Every person is creative and it is our job, as teachers, to develop this talent. Perceptions are changed by learning how to draw ‘what you see’ and not ‘what you know’. By focusing on an object and persevering, even the most adamant will realise that all creatures are creative and art is for everyone!
