We have had many successful entries to high profile art exhibitions at The Hampshire School Chelsea. This year is no exception, despite the pandemic, with successes in the ‘ISA Arts Annual Competition’ and the Big Draw which was another collaborative endeavour that brought the school community together. The children love seeing their artwork displayed around school and it acts as a stimulus for creative ideas and ways of using materials and resources. 

The Hampshire School Chelsea Summer Art Exhibition opens next week with the theme of Ancient Civilisation. It is wonderful that every child will have a piece of artwork displayed in the library and to have the opportunity to welcome their parents to school for a private tour of the exhibition. If for any reason a parent is not able to join us in school, the work will be displayed on the artsteps app.  

There is no doubt that art is fun, playing with colours and drawing pictures has always been a favourite activity. Young children love the messy practice of sticking little fingers into paint pots to make a picture or create a painting that represents a memory. Holding a paintbrush and scribbling with a crayon are important elements in developing a child’s fine motor skills. Their improved fine motor control carries over to other contexts that require hand-eye coordination and precise movements such as using safety scissors to cut a straight line, doing up buttons and tying shoe laces.

It is well documented that art encourages; self-expression, creativity, self-understanding and a sense of individual identity. Studying art also enhances communication skills, reasoning ability and supports the development of resilience and grit; finishing a project is empowering and provides a sense of accomplishment. Furthermore, art is a multifaceted endeavour that draws on knowledge from a range of subject matters including: mathematics, history, language, and science while being uniquely tied to culture. 

All subjects are platforms for fostering creativity as part of a balanced liberal education and if informed risk-taking is encouraged then creativity is assured. Picasso said that, “All children are born artists.”  Our job as teachers and parents is to ensure that they remain artists by fostering creativity in all that we do.