Art in the classroom - the Lincolnshire Art Loan Scheme

What did we do?

The Art Loan Collection was created from works in Lincoln’s Usher Gallery as a commercial enterprise – lending art to local offices and homes. In 2005 a pilot scheme was organised to open the scheme to schools.  The pilot was developed to find out the best ways to meet school needs and how to develop resources and materials to ensure the scheme inspired children across a broad range of curriculum subjects.

Throughout the academic year, 2005 – 2006, five schools borrowed artworks, most changing them each term, and used them for a range of activities. Each school used their artworks differently, for example, some drew out cross-curricular learning from single works and others used all the artworks. The pilot demonstrated the power of using art in the classroom, culminating in a summer exhibition at the Collection in Lincoln showcasing pupils’ creativity inspired by the loaned artworks.

During the pilot, museum staff visited the schools to find out what had worked best for teachers and pupils. The teachers requested more background information, and museum staff now work with teachers and pupils to capture additional information discovered in the classroom, information that will be added to the online resources supporting the artworks. This enables teachers to plan activities in advance of their loans arriving in school.

The success of the pilot has resulted in the Art Loan Scheme being extended to all Lincolnshire schools. Future developments will include a tactile art resource for use in special schools and a family learning scheme in partnership with Sure Start. 

What were the outcomes?

• Pupils have developed skills in art and literacy,
  
• The works of art have inspired learning across the curriculum, including History and Citizenship/PSHE,
  
• Teachers have gained confidence in using artworks to inspire learning.