What is this project about?
Transferer was a groundbreaking project exploring cross-curricular approaches to art-based learning. A Project Co-ordinator worked with two BCB Associate Artists to design and deliver a two-year programme with early secondary students to develop greater oracy and critical thinking skills. Through explorations of clay and ceramics students built new relationships, learnt how to structure and communicate their ideas, increased their vocabularies and learnt about arts careers.
What difference does Transferer make?
Transferer will centre the voices of young people within BCB. This will build their confidence to express themselves and their ideas. Working with young people in Stoke-on-Trent is central to our work, reflecting our values of being inclusive, welcoming and collaborative. We recognise how vital engagement with the arts is for young people to expand their cultural horizons.
Evaluation data from Transferer found that participants improved confidence in cognition, oracy and critical thinking skills. This is a benefit to all areas of their education. We have also found that teachers and education settings increasingly value the benefits of oracy-based work on academic progression and wellbeing.
Where does this project take place?
The project worked with two Stoke-on-Trent secondary schools which had a high percentage of students eligible for Pupil Premium. Both schools reported that these students were more likely to enter secondary school with below average literacy skills which impacts progress in other subject areas. Participating students reported a positive change in their confidence and ability to communicate with others. They also developed their ability to formulate ideas, critique artwork and engage in critical discussions with their peers and adults.
Transferer included weekly in-school sessions designed to promote oracy skills and confidence whilst introducing a range of ceramics skills. Alongside workshop activities, students had visits from guest artists to develop an understanding of wider ceramics practices and build confidence critiquing artworks. The in-school sessions were informal and student-led, ranging from under thirty minutes to two hours in length.
About the Fresh Youth Panel
Transferer was adapted from a BCB pilot in 2021, working with a secondary school on a work experience project. Young people had the opportunity to select artworks for an exhibition. The students, BCB team and teachers involved noted an improvement in confidence, communication and discussion skills by the students taking part. This spurred research into how the approaches taken supported this development and what could be done to take this further.
Transferer also drew upon the work of Voice 21, a national charity supporting schools to build oracy into the curriculum. BCB used this, and other oracy research, to create a programme supporting the development of oracy and critical thinking skills. BCB worked with teachers and students in two schools in Stoke-on-Trent to deliver the programme. Transferer aimed to support young people by centring their voices via an arts-based learning approach that can be embedded across the curriculum.
Resources
The Transferer Toolkit is a digital guide to using clay to build oracy and critical thinking skills in schools. It is the main project dissemination resource and is the culmination of BCB’s learning across the Transferer project. Included in this digital download are twelve step-by-step activities, with curriculum links and adaptations.
Download the Transferer Toolkit.
Support
Transferer had funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation as part of their Arts-based Learning Fund. This fund supports work which enables pupils in formal education settings, particularly those experiencing systemic inequality or disadvantage, to thrive through engagement with high quality, arts-based learning.
Learn more about Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Arts-based Learning Fund.
