The arts for wellbeing in children

The arts can play a big part in improving wellbeing in children.

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 we’ll discuss the impact of this on their mental health and academic performance.

Wellbeing in children

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;

• Nearly half of teachers have seen an increase in students with depression;
• Over 40% found an increase in emotional and behaviour disorders, aggression and concentration issues;
• One in five saw more young people showing signs of self-harm

We also ran a Twitter poll recently 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.

How the Arts can help

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.

A sense of achievement

The other aspect of the arts for wellbeing in children is a sense of achievement. For pupils who stuggle 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.

Promoting the arts at your school

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.

More about Promote Your School

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.

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!