A to Z Index:

Arts Education

The specific focus of the Arts Education Team is to increase participation by young people in cultural activity by enhancing, developing and promoting arts and cultural activities in Aberdeenshire schools. The team works with a variety of independent artists, arts organisations and national companies to achieve this aim.

Placing high quality arts activities into schools, supporting the curriculum and enhancing and increasing cultural provision.

Aberdeenshire Council Arts Education mission statement

The Team

The current team has been in place since 2006 and comprises of an Arts Education officer (Creative Links) and three Cultural Co-ordinators.

Arts Education Officer (Creative Links): David Atherton
Cultural coordinators: Katherine MacLean (Excellence), Dianne Sutherland (Inclusion), Ingrid Turner (Heritage).

If you would like to contact any of the team please visit the contacts section or visit the main Aberdeenshire Arts website.

What does the Arts Education Team do?

  • Develop arts and cultural activities specifically for children and young people aged 3-18.
  • Design, co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate school projects that support and enhance the new Curriculum for Excellence.
  • Identify areas of need in arts provision and provide appropriate support.
  • Support children and young people by addressing their different learning styles through the arts.
  • Support and organise CPD for teachers and arts practitioners, to facilitate greater collaboration and cross discipline working.
  • Support artists working within education.
  • Offer advice and support to teachers on creativity in education.
  • Facilitate information sharing for national arts initiative programmes and schools.
  • Raise the profile of the arts in education.

Arts Education Research

We have recently completed a survey of cultural provision in Aberdeenshire schools. Teachers, visiting specialists, artists and arts organisations were consulted with aim of finding out what provision schools have, want and need. The results will be used to target arts provision. Feedback from schools has been good with over 70% of primary and 50% of secondary schools taking part. The work will conclude in July 2007 and the will be available in September 2007.

Recent Projects

Approximately 5000 pupils across Aberdeenshire participated in Arts Education Team projects in 2006-2007

For further information on the Arts Education recent projects please go to the archive section or visit the main Aberdeenshire Arts website.

Contacting Arts Education

If you have any enquiries, comments or ideas regarding the arts festival or any of our projects please get in touch with us via the contacts section or by visiting the main Aberdeenshire Arts website.