Our Access All Arts expert teacher, Andria Zafirakou, will be sharing her top tips for fostering creativity in the classroom. New, creative experiences can sometimes feel daunting for some children. Read on for Andria’s advice on how you can use the Access All Arts resources to support, engage and inspire every pupil in your classroom. 

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- If they can see it, that can be it. Expose pupils to diverse artists and cultures. Keep it contemporary and find art works that represent and celebrate the wonderfully diverse children in every classroom. Use the Explore section of Access All Arts resources as inspiration for your own lessons.

- Mix it up, often. Think about using a different surface instead of white paper where possible, introduce a new art material or technique into each lesson. Allow time for play and be open to trying new things and taking risks yourself. Use the Make section of Access All Arts resources for a plethora of creative experiments you could use in your lessons.

- Show them how to get started. It is always a good idea to demonstrate how they can get started, slowly and step-by-step. This will help them see how the initial creative journey begins. Try not to dictate the outcome: where their journey goes is up to them. You could use some of the Creative Playing Cards included in the Reimagine section of the Access All Arts resources as creative prompts in your lessons.

- Encourage independence. Empower pupils to make choices about the work they want to create and the materials they want to use. Use sketchbooks to reflect on their journey. What worked? What didn’t? What will they try next? The Access All Arts resources have ideas and tips for using sketchbooks to support creativity.

- Praise, praise and more praise. It’s important to always recognise that the individual journey the student has taken when creating a piece of work is more meaningful and impactful than the finished piece. Use the Share section of the Access All Arts resources to support reflection in your classroom.