What is Arts in Action?

Arts in Action is an artist in residency scheme with a difference. The visiting artists work closely with both the children and the teachers in their chosen school to ensure that everyone involved has full participation in the project and that the children can develop in their thoughts and work both conceptually and technically.

The Arts in Action projects show children, their parents and their teachers the many different career paths in art and design and we hope that the projects will give encouragement to future generations of artists and designers to emerge from our villages, towns and cities.

For the artists, who are Arts or Humanities students at Swansea Metropolitan University, these projects are often the first time that they work within their discipline in the wider community and with other people to create art works. This enables them to both share their expertise within a supported framework with teachers and children and to gain confidence in sharing their ideas and working with other people rather than in isolation.

Through the projects, the teachers are given the opportunity to work alongside an artist, designer or performance group to develop a working knowledge in particular processes or mediums, which can advance the creative knowledge and expertise of their school, ultimately leading to a richer, more creative curriculum.

Over the years, new techniques in art have been introduced into our schools, enabling teachers to expand their knowledge base for future classes. Projects have included felt making, cyanotype photography, book illustration, pin hole cameras, site-specific fine art, theatre costume and design, photograms, printmaking, ceramics and a variety of stained, slumped and etched glass, creative writing and performance art. This wide variety of techniques introduces children to the diverse world of art & design and allows them to realise that every aspect of our human-created existence involves art & design through creative and critical thinking – from the clothes we wear to the cars we drive.

'Arts in Action' is unique as an arts residency scheme, as we mentor our artists and schools through every stage of the projects in order to maximise the experience for all participants, capture as much 'added value' from all the partners and ensure a positive and long lasting outcome to the projects.

The Partners

The 'Arts in Action' Residency Scheme was initiated in 1999 through a partnership agreement between Swansea Metropolitan University, the City and County Council of Swansea and the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, to manage and deliver Visual Arts Residencies to Swansea Primary Schools.

Over the years, the scheme has broadened its geographical scope to include the County Borough of Neath, Port Talbot, increased its content to include Visual Arts, Performance Arts and Creative Writing and broadened its delivery to both Secondary and Primary Schools, working in both mediums of Welsh and English.

The projects are successfully funded through the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales's (HEFCW) 'Widening Access to Higher Education' and the South West Wales Reaching Wider Partnership http://www.swan.ac.uk/dace/WideningParticipation/ReachingWider/

Arts in Action 2011

In 2011 The Arts in Action Team worked with 17 schools (18 Residencies). Over 540 children participated at infant, primary and secondary levels.

Due to additional funding through the South West Wales Reaching Wider Partnership we also ran three pilot projects in schools in Carmarthenshire

As usual a public exhibition with a selection of the work from the all of the projects was held at The Guildhall, Swansea in the Lord Mayor's Room Foyer. This was open to the public from 6th - 15th July.

Jill Burgess, Governor, SMU opened the exhibition followed by a performance by pupils from Pontarddulais Comprehensive School.

Arts in Action 2012

Last year was the 13th anniversary of the Arts in Action residency scheme and activities are now underway for 2012. We run 10 - 20 individual 3 - 5 day projects annually and have, in the last thirteen years created 152 individual projects in local schools and worked with over 4300 children to date.

Students, who would like to participate in Arts in Action, to deliver a project in June 2012, will be able to register interest by emailing  jenny.vobe@ smu.ac.uk for Guidlines & an Application Form. Please see the Applications page on this site.

Students whose projects are chosen will receive expenses and a fee in return for carrying out a successful project with a school.

The scheme is run as a competition for 2nd, 3rd and MA art, design and humanities students studying at Swansea Metropolitan University. 

Schools

Are you a Teacher from a Swansea or Neath Port Talbot School who would be interested in a 3 – 5 day Residency in June 2012?

If you would like your school to participate, please register your interest by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , letting us know your name, your school and the age group of the class you would like to be involved. We work closely with the City and County of Swansea Education Effectiveness Service and the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot Cultural Services in selecting schools for the Arts in Action scheme.