Press release - 17 March 2005

NCA and NUT's Professional Development Programme promoting creativity in the classroom

The National Campaign for the Arts (NCA) is about to begin a second series of its acclaimed artist/teacher workshops, Walking with Artists, in partnership with the National Union of Teachers Professional Development Programme (NUT CPD). The series is supported by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and the National Lottery Awards for All.

Walking with Artists empowers primary school teachers to use the arts and creativity more effectively in their classrooms. A half-day seminar for twenty-five teachers will take place in each of the nine English Government regions and also in Wales between March and July 2005.

Walking with Artists is designed to address two main barriers to delivering the arts in primary schools, as identified by the NCA and the NUT. The first is that many teachers do not feel confidence in their own artistic ability and are therefore wary of delivering the arts to their pupils. The second barrier is the difficulties that teachers often encounter when trying to establish a creative partnership between their school and an artist or arts organisation. The sessions address these problems by bringing teachers into contact with local artists within a prominent arts venue.

Victoria Todd, Director of the NCA, said: "The NCA is not going to stop talking about creative education until it is available to every child in this country. Walking with Artists supports our lobbying and campaigning by demonstrating how straightforward it is to empower teachers to teach creatively."

Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the NUT, said: "Walking with Artists is about more than simply enjoying the arts. It is about promoting creativity in the classroom - creativity in the way that pupils and teachers approach, think about and experience learning. I am delighted that the NUT is working with the NCA on a second round of this project."

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