Since the 1960s, fine art higher education in the UK has undergone dramatic changes to the way it is delivered. Initially, it was a vocational practice rooted in making. However, since its amalgamation into the university system in the early 1990s, it has become increasingly theoretical.
“Art Schools, Place and Policy” draws from a historical and socio-geographical exploration of how policy and societal contexts have shaped art education. It investigates how an examination of the relationship between art schools and place can advance our understanding of the value of fine art education today.
In their cross-disciplinary doctoral research, artist and geographer Dr Silvie Jacobi and artist and lecturer Dr Matthew Macaulay explore how these changes have shaped the current fine art curriculum.
Matthew's work is concerned with how the shifting UK higher education policy environment has impacted painting education since the 1970s. Silvie explores the relationship between art schools and place and the emergence of art scenes by juxtaposing British and German art school systems. The conversation is chaired by Paul Haywood.
100-min listen
transcript available (pdf)
watch
SHIFT: A Particular Reality
Student/educator collective A Particular Reality (APR) discuss the themes underpinning their nuanced pedagogies by, with, and for marginalised and minoritised people.
A Particular Reality (APR) is a collective formed by students, alumni and educators from the Fine Art departments at Goldsmiths University of London, Kingston School of Art and Manchester Metropolitan University.
Building creative learning environments upon the values of equity and care, their work addresses experiences of racism, exclusion and isolation in arts education, university and careers. In this film, APR collectively presents key themes underpinning their nuanced pedagogies, centring and produced by, with and for marginalised and minoritised people.
11-min watch
read
Art teachers should have the space to be rebellious
Joanna Brinton (artist and founder of Good Studio) and Freya Kehoe (artist-teacher) discuss their durational collaboration and play within their practice.
'Art teachers should have the space to be rebellious' was an action-research project between Joanna Brinton (artist and founder of Good Studio) and Freya Kehoe (artist-teacher), to consider the boundaries, motivations and possibilities for rebellion and creativity in the space between artistic and teaching practice. The title phrase and prompt for this collaboration was first used by Freya during a round table discussion for secondary school teachers that, (took place at Freelands Foundation on October 2023), in frustration at the structures imposed on teachers in school.
As part of their introductory process and initial explorations, Jo and Freya spent time together in Jo’s studio which resulted in the first edition of the Freedom Portal Planner, a calendar designed to frame and prompt action.
From January 2024 the pair met regularly to explore how conversation, daily rituals and creating space for rest can be small acts of rebellion which instigate change in art education. Moving from school to Freelands Foundation's project space for the summer term allowed the opportunity to test, reframe, invite in and open up some of the approaches and structures with a dedicated space to practice.
Jo and Freya came together again at the end of 2024 to reflect on the project while making a second iteration of the Freedom Portal Planner to frame the conversation. Read their in-conversation reflecting on their time below.
16-min read
transcript available (pdf)
watch
watch
Belonging in Practice: The Artist-Teacher Residency
A 2025 film by Kit Vincent exploring Dianne Minnicucci’s time as the resident artist-teacher at Thomas Tallis School. Part of Autograph’s Visible Practice Residency.
7-min watch
listen
listen
Why Artists Should Teach
A conversation on the relationship between teaching and artistic practice with Joseph Cartwright, Jenny Eden and Shepherd Manyika, chaired by Raksha Patel.
51-min listen
transcript available (pdf)
watch
watch
SHIFT: Paul Morrow
Artist and educator Paul Morrow issues a powerful call to action for educators to enact anti-ableist pedagogy in the art classroom, presenting an introduction to its liberatory ideas alongside practical tools for its application.
9-min watch
transcript available (pdf)
read
read
Art teachers should have the space to be rebellious
Joanna Brinton (artist and founder of Good Studio) and Freya Kehoe (artist-teacher) discuss their durational collaboration and play within their practice.
16-min read
transcript available (pdf)
listen
listen
Learning Takes Place… in Artist Studios
Reflections on how the site of the 'studio' impacts an artist’s practice and supports their learning and development
9-min listen
watch
watch
SHIFT: henry bradley
Performance art is absent from most mainstream art education; how could it impact the wider school ecology?
21-min watch
transcript available (pdf)
watch
watch
SHIFT: Terri Newman
Artist, educator and researcher Terri Newman discusses her research into collaborative pedagogies in the art classroom.
9-min watch
transcript available (pdf)
watch
watch
SHIFT: India Harvey
Artist and researcher India Harvey explores how notions such as play can challenge perceptual and sensory hierarchies, opening up different ways of engaging with the world.
7-min watch
watch
watch
West Rise, School by the Marsh
A documentary about West Rise Junior School in Eastbourne, which takes a hands-on, outdoors-oriented approach to learning, informed by the school’s location on the site of a Bronze Age settlement.
16-min watch
listen
listen
Visualising Art Education
Shade podcast presents a five-part series of conversations with art educators and practitioners that springboard the chapters of the Visualise report.
139-min listen
watch
watch
SHIFT: Michael Crowe
‘Take your time to make sure you get it wrong’ is the principle for the after-school class ‘Spaghetti Club’, explains Michael Crowe in this film describing the content and outcomes of the programme.
22-min watch
transcript available (pdf)
watch
watch
SHIFT: Melissa Bremmer & Emiel Heijnen
Melissa Bremmer and Emiel Heijnen discuss the philosophies behind their book Wicked Arts Assignments: Practising Creativity in Contemporary Arts Education (2020), and how the assignment as artwork can help facilitate students’ creative processes.
11-min watch
read
read
ARTISTEACHER Toolkit
Guidance on facilitating experimentation and creative risk-taking within the classroom using 'Which Way is Up?', a set of imaginative prompts designed by Hannah Rennie and Shepherd Manyika with Cement Fields.
2-min read
watch
watch
SHIFT: A Particular Reality
Student/educator collective A Particular Reality (APR) discuss the themes underpinning their nuanced pedagogies by, with, and for marginalised and minoritised people.
11-min watch
watch
watch
SHIFT: Hannah Kemp-Welch
Sound artist Hannah Kemp-Welch presents aspects of her research into Sound Arts Practice, including exploring the role of listening as a social art practice and the tensions around participation, ownership and representation in socially engaged art.
7-min watch
listen
listen
The Studio as a Site of Community and Collective Action
A conversation on the potential for studio spaces to contribute to a diverse and inclusive art world with Dr Charlotte Bonham-Carter, Dyana Gravina, Jane Morrow, and Rosalind Nashashibi.
54-min listen
read
read
Visualise: Race & Inclusion in Secondary School Art Education
A landmark research commission and report on race and inclusion in art education in the UK.
185-min read
watch
watch
Resist - Things Artists Do While Learning To Teach
A documentary follows a year in the collaborative project between the Institute of Education (University College London) and Freelands Foundation.
24-min watch
watch
watch
SHIFT: Jess Gilbert
Artist-teacher Jess Gilbert discusses her methodologies for encouraging students to play, take risks and embrace the uncertainty of process-led learning.
12-min watch
listen
listen
Should We Teach Art?
Responses by Juan Bolivar, Michele Gregson and Munira Mirza, chaired by Andy Ash.
71-min listen
watch
watch
Thinking Making
A documentary that explores the work of Plymouth College of Art and its pioneering approach to art education.
29-min watch
read
read
Edges of Edie Evans
A response to the practice of Edie Evans during their fellowship at Swansea College of Art.
5-min read
watch
watch
SHIFT: Katherine Smith
Artist Katherine Smith discusses her investigation into using materials as an interface for connection to the body.
18-min watch
read
read
Championing making practices in UK art schools
A reflection on five years of thinking, teaching and practicing painting in UK higher education by Freelands Foundation.