In 2007 the ministry of education opened up an amazing opportunity for artists, schools and communities by launching a ground breaking project called "Artists in schools". To find out more about the Artist in schools project please visit here

The ministry of education paired me up with Whangaparaoa primary school, to work as artist in residence for Term 3 2008. I devised a ten week programme, meeting with each syndicate to create a time-table that suited the entire school. I worked with each year level, across the whole school, integrating the art projects and specifically designing these projects to coincide with their other curriculum based requirements while cultivating and encouraging the key competencies identified by the NZ curriculum as thinking, using language, symbols and texts, managing self, relating to others, participating and contributing. I worked across the whole school spending three hours in each of the 26 classes.

I then selected 20 yr 5 and 6 students showing exceptional ability within the field of visual art to create a mural based on the Maori legend of "paikea and the whale" to beautify the public facing wall of one of their classrooms. These children showed amazing ability, with incredible focus and attention to detail. They began to merge and work as a successful cooperative unit and team, achieving consistent exceptional results. The children completed this mural in week 8 of term 4, having spent each Wednesday working throughout the day in three groups split into seven. The mural end product was designed by a merging of two Yr 6 Students designs. Once the mural was completed we had a ceremonial blessing in front of the whole school. To download a PDF outlining our process please click here.

To view the mural team gallery please click here

I believe the Artists in schools programe provides an important arena for arts and cultural development in New Zealand. It not only encourages our children to think creatively, but it enables them to actively partake and engage in creative practice with professional creative practitioners such as myself. I found my ten week experience to be one of the most important and positive experiences of my life. I learned a great deal from the teachers, I learned a great deal from the children and I learned a great deal about myself.

Later this year artistinschool.co.nz will launch a section of the site dedicated to global research into the importance of art practice in contemporary and future education. Here you will be able to have access to links across the web that discuss in detail the importance of arts education. You will be able to watch videos, listen to lectures, download papers on the subject as well as online resource guides and project outlines.

Please click on the links above to see samples of each Whangaparaoa primary schools year groups work in progress