“Every human is an artist.”

Don Miguel Ruiz

Art & Design

At Bowness, we believe that art is a vital part of children’s education, providing significant and valuable enrichment opportunities.  The art curriculum will develop children’s critical abilities, as well as an understanding of their own and others’ cultural heritages through the study of a diverse range of artists.

We recognise that art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

At Bowness Primary School, in conjunction with the aims of the National Curriculum, our Art and Design key concepts and ideas are:

1. Children will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design.
2. Children will have a greater understanding of how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. 
3. Children will learn about inspirational artists, architects and designers in history, whilst describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work. 
4. Children will showcase their final piece, communicating the development of their ideas and reflecting on their work. 
5. Children will have a greater knowledge of the potential career opportunities available to them, broaden their horizons and gain an understanding that jobs and careers are not bound by social mobility or gender stereotypes. 

Characteristics of an Artist

• The ability to use visual language skillfully and convincingly (for example, line, shape, pattern, colour, texture, form) to express emotions, interpret observations, convey insights and accentuate their individuality.
• The ability to communicate fluently in visual and tactile form.
• The ability to draw confidently and adventurously from observation, memory and imagination.
• The ability to explore and invent marks, develop and deconstruct ideas and communicate perceptively and powerfully through purposeful drawing in 2D, 3D or digital media.
• An impressive knowledge and understanding of other artists, craft makers and designers.
• The ability to think and act like creative practitioners by using their knowledge and understanding to inform, inspire and interpret ideas, observations and feelings.
• Independence, initiative and originality which they can use to develop their creativity.
• The ability to select and use materials, processes and techniques skillfully and inventively to realise intentions and capitalise on the unexpected.
• The ability to reflect on, analyse and critically evaluate their own work and that of others.
• A passion for and a commitment to the subject.

Aspirations for the Future 

Pupils develop an understanding of how subjects and specific skills are linked to future jobs.

Here are some of the jobs you could aspire to do in the future as an Artist:

• Wardrobe master
• Curator
• Author and illustrator
• Furniture designer
• Fashion designer