My experience of teaching in culturally diverse school settings has raised my awareness of the importance of art education in supporting diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism. 

I have placed an emphasis on developing units of work which provide students with opportunities to create artwork in response to a range of social issues and foster intercultural understanding.

Below are links to examples of art projects and extracurricular art activities which I have developed which aim to support intercultural understanding and promote global citizenship.

Social enterprise art group - extra curricular student led activity 

Members of the Social Enterprise Art Group worked in collaboration to found their own company to manufacture artwork to sell in support of the school's nominated charity, the UWS Gnang Som Toch School in Cambodia. A focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals promoting quality education and reducing inequalities were an emphasis of this initiative. ​

International school art collaboration projects 

Art can provide students with authentic and meaningful ways to understand and respond to global issues by working with their peers in other countries.  Below is the link to a range of examples of international art collaboration projects which I have led.  

Identity - drawing project 

This unit of work focused on developing student's expression of personal identity through the use of symbolism. Students researched and developed symbols to express their personal interests, unique personalities and interests in global social issues.

Through this project students used drawing to raise awareness of a wide range of social issues students felt strongly about including LGBTQ+ rights, Black Lives Matter, gender equality, climate change, global inequality and conflict.  Technical skills developed during this project included mark-making drawing processes and experimental pen techniques. ​

UN sustainable development goals- sustainability in art 

Reflecting on the importance of bringing student awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and bringing about change, I have been working on incorporating a number of the goals into the art curriculum. 

I have placed an emphasis on providing students with opportunities to create artwork which sends a powerful educational message to the viewer. I also focused on encouraging students to re-use and recycle found materials to create art, thus reducing the impact they have on the environment. 

Cultural diversity GCSE art project 

Year 10 preparatory studies, research and idea development inspired by the theme of cultural diversity. Students responded to and researched diverse aspects of culture, for example food, textiles, art, craft, religion, personal adornment, ritual, language and symbolism.

Identity maps - printmaking, ceramics & drawing project  

Inspired by the practise of contemporary Aboriginal landscape artist Bradley Kickett, students used Google Earth to locate and collect imagery relevant to aspects of their personal identity and connection to place.

Students used personal experiences and connection to place,  for example ancestral land, journeys, memories and their places in the world to create deeply personal and meaningful identity map illustrations. 

Cultural symbolism- textile art project 

In this unit of work students researched the meanings and uses of symbolism from the wide range of cultures represented by the student cohort.
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​Students responded to their research to design and create fabric welcome banners using personal and cultural symbolism to bring fortune inspired by the tradition of toran banners in India. Students experimented with tie dye and fabric painting techniques. 

Students were encouraged to bring in their own personal symbols to incorporate into their designs as well as researching and responding to artefacts and symbols from other cultures. 

Peranakan culture- art project 

In this unit students learned about a variety of aspects of the local Peranakan culture through the creation of art.

Peranakan culture was unique to the host school's location and I used art to develop student's understanding of this unique and fascinating culture.

Students of Peranakan origin brought in family cultural items into the classroom and shared these items the class, explaining the meaning, use and significance. Students then conducted further research into the symbolism and motifs used in the decorative arts of Peranakan culture and responded to the traditional motifs using a range of art media. ​
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