Registration is now open: https://delegate.brighton.ac.uk/intothearts2016 

WP: INTO THE ARTS

First Widening Participation in Arts Education Conference 

Into the Arts - The First Widening Participation in Arts Education Conference at the University of Brighton, UK, is designed to promote contemporary research and discourse regarding art and design education and its significance in terms of widening participation. 

Programme 

09:00 Registration (Tea & Coffee)

Keynote:  Wayne Hemingway (MBE)

Session 1: Papers on the theme:  Art, History Culture & Education

Working in partnership: Art History and Widening Participation (Rose Aidin)

Art History for a Contemporary Society: Equality, inclusivity in the Art History Curriculum (Dr Alice Planel)

Diversity, Inclusivity and Equality through Education  (Dr Abigail Moore)

Student Experience in a WP environment (Jules Findley) 

OR Session 1 Workshops

How Does a 21st Century Art School do all it Needs to do? (Shona Paul & Kath Bridger)

Express Yourself: how Arts award can be used to inspire expressive communication in SEND pupils (Dionne Matthew & Sarah Allen) 

Roundtables

Speaking another language (Claire Robins; Annie Davey; Kieren Reed; Christiane Shepherd)

Boys into the Arts (Martin Webster; Tommy Sissons; Nicholas Gant; Gresham Blake; Ryan Brockbank; Stephen Mundy)

LUNCH 

Keynote: Frances Sorrel & Sorrel Hershberg  (Sorrel Foundation)

Session 2: Papers on the Theme of Art Education (Pedagogy)

Navigating Learning Leaps: Using Cross Disciplinary Approaches to Support Creative Practice Students ( Dr Jess Moriarty & Dr Christina Reading)

Student Experience in a WP Environment (Jules Findley)

Widening the view (Vikki Haffenden)

NSEAD Survey Report 2015-16 (Lesley Butterworth) 

Delivering the Brighton Waste House: a multi-agency collaboration (Duncan Baker Brown) 

OR Session 2: Workshop & Paper

Express Yourself: how Arts Award can be used to Inspire Expressive Communication in SEND pupils (Sarah Allen) 

Building a manifesto for WP in the arts (Fay Lofty & Juliana Sissons)

Keynote: Professor Daniel Charny 

17:30 Evening Reception

Registration: https://delegate.brighton.ac.uk/intothearts2016 

Call for papers: 

Does society still believe in the value of Art, Design and the creative industries? Is Art and Design seen as exclusive, concerned only with Galleries and the ‘isms’ - or does it offer inclusive opportunities to a diversity of learners from a range of contexts and skill sets? Changes in quality assurance, school curriculum, legislation and funding as well as challenges in society and culture all highlight the need to explore questions of inclusivity and the development of new methods of teaching to push boundaries to inspire young people. 

Into the Arts offers a valuable space for discussion about the importance of widening participation in the arts. The conference provides a platform for School and College tutors, University lecturers, academics, members of community and industrial organisations and of course students to explore the relationship between the Arts and Education today. 

The Conference aims to: 

• Encourage the discussion of new methods and techniques to promote diversity, equality and inclusivity    
• Identify ways of increasing retention in FE and HE                                                                                    
• Enhance the ways in which the arts can celebrate diversity, inclusivity and equality. 

We are looking for a diverse range of contributions that further explore the impact and direction for Widening Participation in Art and Design Education. 

Suggested topics may include (but are not limited to) the following: 

• What do we mean by widening participation in the contemporary context? 
• What do the arts offer or inhibit in terms of widening participation? Is this distinct from other sectors? 
• How do we support and retain students from a diverse range of backgrounds or with challenging circumstances? 
• How can the public and private sector help? 
• Does an arts education limit career choices? 
• What is the role of ‘the art school’ today? 
• Would changes in policy, curriculum or funding help ensure education is open to all those who can benefit? 
• What innovations in teaching are required and how do diverse student cohorts help to shape this? 
• How can educators rethink ideas about teaching practices and be more open to changes in student numbers and diversity of backgrounds? 
• How do we educate educators? 

The following contributions would also be welcome: 

• Paper presentations (abstracts of 250 words) 
• Workshop proposals (abstracts of 250 words) 
• Roundtable discussion proposals (abstracts of 350 words overall, including brief summary of each discussant) 
• Testimonials from the arts industry and education (250 words overall contribution) 
• Future of art and design manifestoes (250 words overall contribution) 

Confirmed keynote speakers: 

Professor Daniel Charny is a designer, curator and design educator. He is co-founder and director of research studio From Now On, where clients include the British Council, Cathedral PLC and the Design Museum. Charney has curated major contemporary design shows including the popular and critically acclaimed Victoria and Albert Museum and Crafts Council exhibition Power of Making. He has been involved in design education for 20 years including as Senior Tutor at the Royal College of Art and is currently Professor of Design at Kingston University. Working closely with the British Council he is creative director of the international Maker Library Network. He is co-founder of Fixperts, a creative social design platform, now active in 12 countries. An Internationally recognised expert, he contributes to conferences, think-tanks, design juries and professional advisory boards. He is Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Wayne Hemingway MBE: Successful Fashion and Product Designer. The ‘HemingwayDesign’ company is well known in the social design industry. Hemingway also delivers talks on housing, urban design, education and the creative sector, and is frequently a host of creative industries related awards events. 

Sorrel Hershberg: Director of the Sorrell Foundation, a charity set up by Sir John and Frances Sorrell in 1999 to inspire creativity in young people. The National Art&Design Saturday Club offers 14 to 16 year olds the unique opportunity to study art and design every Saturday morning at their local college or university for free. Currently, the Saturday Club is running in 50 locations across the UK and works with around 1,200 young people. The Sorrell Foundation’s programmes link schoolchildren with colleges and universities and with creative professionals; over the last 15 years it has worked with 10,000 young people across the UK. Prior to joining the Foundation, Sorrel was Senior Programme Manager for Frieze Foundation, and has been a design curator at the British Council and at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 

Selected papers, testimonials and manifestoes will be published on the University conference website. 

Submission deadline for Paper / Workshop / Roundtable abstracts: 18th March 2016

Submission deadline for Testimonials and Manifestoes: 1st April 2016 (notification of successful contributions 20th April 2016) 

Send Abstracts / Submissions along with details of affiliations to: EASE-Arts@brighton.ac.uk 

Organisers: Juliana Sissons, Irmi Karl, Nick Gant, Denice Penrose 

Website: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/into-arts 

Contact: EASE-Arts@brighton.ac.uk or REASE office on 01273 644574 

Twitter: #wpintothearts