About Outreach in schools

Objectives

The Royal Academy Outreach Programme sets out to:

• Extend young people’s understanding of the nature and processes of drawing
• Develop creativity in young people
• Unlock individual potential and foster self-confidence and belief
• Encourage powers of perception, self-awareness and mental flexibility

"This experience gave me more than an insight into figure drawing. It taught me freedom of expression and how to respond to my emotions"

Photo © Steve Hopper 2008

Process

During the workshop a group of up to 30 students embark on a journey of discovery with a visiting artist and model. Whilst exploring creative approaches to image making, they are encouraged to break free for a day, leaving previous ideas about drawing behind them.

A school hall becomes an artist's studio for the day and pupils work on the floor, in a large circle around the model using mainly charcoal and large sheets of paper. The workshop presents pupils with a synthesis between hand and mind, as fast- flowing exercises from observation and imagination interact with ideas about artists’ creative processes and behaviours

"I learnt that drawing is not just about making pretty pictures. It is a thinking and feeling process to do with life in all its aspects"

Artist and model encourage initiative, curiosity and contemplation, whilst generating a relaxed atmosphere in which students can explore their personal perceptions free from judgement. Exercises are designed to stretch the students’ notion of what drawing encompasses and how it’s a creative process in which risks are taken, responses explored, potential solutions compared, instincts acted on, mistakes made and exciting results achieved.

Photo: Karl Attard

Benefits

The workshops provide an inspirational drawing experience that can transform attitudes to drawing forever.

Teachers have consistently identified the following key benefits for students:

• It challenges pre-conceived ideas about drawing, opening up fresh ways of looking and thinking
• It increases personal confidence and creative belief even from pupils who never considered themselves good at art
• It promotes greater use of intuition, personal expression and the ability to move beyond artistic boundaries
• It stimulates formative dialogue between teachers and students which feeds into coursework in a valuable way
• It generates a wide range of drawings and creative concepts that can be used as a catalyst for future projects or included in exam portfolios

It is important to note that although the workshop complements regular coursework, the Programme does not aim to produce 'finished' life drawings for examinations or assessments.

Cost

The workshop fee is £300 (plus VAT). All workshop materials need to be provided by the school.

• Royal Academy of Arts