Innovative teacher residential programme awarded Paul Mellon funding

We are excited to announce the support of the Paul Mellon Centre for British Art Studies for the next three years of the Plan Prepare Provide teacher residential course.

Plan, Prepare, Provide takes place annually over three days on the campus of the University of Leeds. It offers a unique opportunity for teachers and their schools to improve their delivery of both academic and practical art lessons and to build upon their art historical knowledge. 

The initiative is a cornerstone of the partnership between the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds and the Association for Art History.

The additional support of the Paul Mellon Centre means that the programme can build on the successes of previous residential events and further develop what has become widely acknowledged as one of the most exciting development opportunities for art teachers in the UK. 

Since 2017, Plan, Prepare, Provide has supported over 100 teachers who have collectively reached in excess of 30,000 students. The support of the Paul Mellon Centre provides a fantastic opportunity for the programme to achieve its ambition of reaching 140,000 students by 2023.

The residential is designed to support qualified teachers from secondary or sixth form schools or colleges across a range of areas including:

• engaging with pro-active ways to develop both teaching and artistic practice;
• building networks, and sharing ideas and experiences with peers;
• improving delivery and results on the written element of the examinations ;
• integrating ideas from art by past and contemporary artists into art lessons with confidence.

Mark Hallett, Director of Studies at the Paul Mellon Centre, said:

”We are thrilled to be supporting this exciting and innovative scheme. Plan, Prepare, Provide is helping thousands of school children to find out about art history, and we know it will inspire the students and scholars of the future.

Teachers taking part in print workshop at Plan Prepare Provide teachers residential event at the University of Leeds

Abigail Harrison Moore, Professor of Art History and Museum Studies at the University of Leeds, set up the programme with the support of the university’s Arts and Humanities Outreach Team and a network of art/art history teachers. Abigail said:

“We are all delighted to have secured the programme's future thanks to the generosity and support of the Paul Mellon Centre.

“Plan, Prepare, Provide has grown exponentially over the past four years, since it was born out of our continuing professional development offer in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies.

“Through partnering with the Association for Art History and teaming up with art teachers from across the UK, this offer was turned into a residential programme in 2017. Up to 30 art teachers each year have been able to spend three days on campus at no cost to them, thanks to the course being fully funded by the Association for Art History.

“Working with arts outreach colleagues in the Educational Engagement team at the university, the programme aims to engage teachers from across the UK in thinking about how they bring art history confidently into their classrooms in a creative and engaging way.

“The Paul Mellon Centre's support will enable us to reach even more art and art history teachers through the ongoing delivery of the summer residential events, and to join participants to the wider network of Plan, Prepare, Provide alumni across the country. It will allow us to continue to ensure that art history is available to as wide a diversity of young people as possible.”

Sarah Harvey Richardson, Arts and Humanities Outreach Officer in the Educational Engagement team at the University of Leeds, said:

“Plan, Prepare, Provide is a unique opportunity for participants to receive critical advice, insight and experience from current art and art history teachers, academics and arts professionals across the UK.

 “We are delighted that this funding has secured the future of such a vital and unique continuing professional development opportunity for art and art history teachers.”

Further information about Plan, Prepare, Provide.

Images

Plan Prepare Provide teachers residential at the University of Leeds. Photos by Andy Lord.