Andrew Ash

1.5 The Big Landscape: Developing a Contemporary Resource in Unexplored Territories (Paper)

Andrew Ash – University College London (UCL), London, UK

Abstract:

In ‘A Practical Guide to Teaching Art & Design in the Secondary School’ (Ash & Carr, 2024), the authors bring together a range of experts who bridge the gap between key themes in Art & Design education theory, professional practice and classroom teaching. The book challenges and questions the well-trodden path and less creative aspects of secondary school art & design in the UK. It encourages readers to explore better practice by presenting practical ideas for re-routing and developing classroom practice to fully prepare this generation’s pupils to better meet the challenges of the future. The NSEAD Big Landscape resource was developed alongside with the book themes and is an aid memoire, an atlas for teachers to enable reflection on the decisions they make for the curriculum and to consider plotting their own more informed course through and engagement with the complex landscape of contemporary issues relating to Art & Design. I will introduce these resources and discuss how this work gives agency and hope to teachers, how it can empower teachers, gives them the tools and confidence to make informed decisions that create meaningful learning experiences in a constantly changing educational environment.

Andrew Ash – The Big Landscape: Developing a Contemporary Resource in Unexplored Territories (Paper) www.1andyash.com