or call 020 7404 3400
or call 020 7404 3400
Blog updated on 28th January, 2024.
If wellbeing in children is at the forefront of your focus as a school, read this!
Here, we’ll explore how the arts can give students a platform for self-expression and promote a healthy imagination development in pupils. Plus, we’ll discuss the impact of creative subjects on their mental health and academic performance.
Recently we shared the findings of a study by Stem4, which showed a huge increase in mental health issues in children due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the survey, nine in ten (88%) of teachers said that, over the last three months, they had seen a rise in the number of students with anxiety;
We also ran a Twitter poll asking, “What’s your biggest priority right now“. A whopping 71.4% of recipients said that pupil wellbeing is their biggest priority. So it’s great to see that teachers are focusing on wellbeing as an area of importance.
According to The Arts Council England; “Arts subjects encourage self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity”.
Source: Arts Council England, Tracking Learning and Engagement in the Arts (TALE)
An article by Forbes also stated that engaging in creative behaviours improves brain function, mental health, and physical health. We’re becoming increasingly aware that mindfulness serves as an effective mechanism to reduce anxiety in children and adults. And, when children immerse themselves in a creative task, they’re able to switch off their worries and thoughts about the outside world.
This slows their heart rate and breathing, which in turn reduces anxiety and the risk of panic attacks. So, engaging in artistic activities and creative pursuits can provide an accessible route to mindfulness for children.
The other aspect of the arts for wellbeing in children is a sense of achievement. For pupils who struggle with core academic subjects, indulging in more creative pursuits can provide a much needed boost!
Arts subjects can also offer a welcome respite from the pressure of studying core subjects. This can improve student wellbeing and, as a result, help pupils perform better all round.
There are numerous ways to promote the arts and creativity at your school. But the biggest challenge, of course, is time. Teachers have enough on their plates, and simply don’t have the bandwidth to add ‘creative ambassador’ to their already stretched remit.
But the good news is that it’s not all on you. In fact, many schools we work with use their walls to promote the arts in a really powerful way. For example, if your school has an art department, you can feature famous artworks, artists and relevant imagery on the walls of the department. Or, you might add a splash of colour and vibrance to your school corridors to set the mood for creativity to flourish.
Some schools, request art timelines to show pupils how art and creative pursuits have evolved over time. We create all of our designs bespoke to each school. So, even if you’re not sure about what you’d like, we can help turn your goals into actionable ideas.
We’re an education design agency with over twenty years’ experience. So we’re highly experienced at helping schools achieve their aims through the power of bespoke design and understand how the arts impact on wellbeing in students.
Our consultative service includes design, print and installation. So we’ll do all the hard work and ensure you get the exact end result you want.
Get in touch to find out more about how we can help you use your school’s walls to promote the arts. Or view our case studies to see more examples of our work!
We’ll visit your school to understand your goals, explain our process and provide you with a no-obligation quote.
