Arts and Crafts
The ECA & Arts and Crafts • Art Reviews • Arts and Crafts & Adult Education • Arts News • Get Involved • Upcoming Events
The ECA and Arts and Crafts
The ECA has long recognised the importance of Arts and Crafts in Adult Learning and includes arts organisations such as the V&A, Voluntary Arts Network and Norwich University College of the Arts among its members. This interest is reflected in ECA organised conferences on Arts and Crafts and in its support and delivery of projects and events that have integrated or focused on this subject.
Examples of past ECA events can be seen below.
Drawing Together - Toys and Pastimes, Big Draw event 15 October 2011
The ECA held a Big Draw event at The Base, a family centre, in Norwich. Inspired by one of the 2011 Big Draw themes 'Drawing Age' the intergenerational event saw older people coming together with young children to share their childhood toys and pastimes with each other. A communal art work was made using toys such as marbles and hula hoops to paint with.
Innovation and Inspiration: The crafts in Adult Learning 15 September 2007
The event included presentations from Paul Devlin, Information and Research Officer for Voluntary Arts England, who spoke about the issues surrounding the Arts and Crafts in Adult Education. A follow up article written by Paul, for the ECA, can be found by clicking here. Eithne Nightingale, from the V&A, talked about 'Inspired by....' the V&A's annual art competition for adults on part-time courses. Gemma Khawaja, a talented puppet making student described her experience of being an adult learner.
Valuing Adult Learning in Arts and Crafts 11 June 2005
Among the speakers at this conference were Reemer J Bailey, Co-ordinator of Voluntary Arts England and Keith West, Artist in Residence at N&W Essex ACC in Harlow. Participants were encouraged to discuss examples of their own experiences in adult education and the Arts and Crafts. The day included a visit to the International Arts and Crafts exhibition.
Arts, Culture and Lifelong Learning 20 October 2004
Contributors to this event included Tristram Besteman, director of Manchester Museum, Jenny Chapman of the BBC and Consultant Vanessa Bone from Creative Cultures. A private view of the British Museum's travelling exhibition 'Buried Treasure' was organised for delegates.
Arts Reviews
The ECA prides itself on it's high quality reviews of important Art and Craft events. Please visit our Arts Review Page.
Arts and Crafts and Adult Education
To find out more about the key figures in the Arts and Crafts movement and its link with Adult Education please click here.
Arts News
To visit our Arts and Crafts news page click here.
Get Involved
Arts and Crafts-based activities supported or recommended by the ECA can be found below.
I
nspired by...
Inspired by... is the V&A's annual art competition for adults on part-time courses. Participants create a work of art or craft inspired by the collections of the V&A South Kensington, the Theatre Collections on-line or the V&A Museum of Childhood. Entries are judged by a panel of curators and the winners and other selected works are displayed in the museum from which they drew their inspiration. Winners in their category also receive a prize.
Selected and winning artworks go on display in at the V&A.
For more information about or to get involved with the initiative, visit the V&A website by clicking here.
The Big Draw
The Big Draw is an annual event that invites everyone to join in, using drawing to engage with the past, present, and future.
Every October over 1000 venues, including: galleries, museums, science centres, heritage and environmental sites, libraries, archives, community and shopping centres, colleges, schools and art clubs host drawing activities for people of all abilities. They explore technical, scientific, architectural, archaeological or fine art drawing. Participants of all ages are invited to help expand the definitions and uses of drawing - experimenting with pencils, crayons, charcoal, sand, clay, digital imagery, choreographed movement, vapour trails and fire drawings. The Big Draw proves that drawing can be an enjoyable public activity as well as a private passion. It is inspired by the visionary Victorian artist and writer, John Ruskin. His mission was not to teach people how to draw, but how to see
This years Big Draw Day takes place on Saturday 8th October 2011 but events can take place on any day throughout October and the theme is 'Drawing Age'. Click here for more information.
Upcoming Events of Interest
V&A Touring Exhibition: Street Art
This exhibition, drawn from the V&A collections, explores the diverse and transient art form of Street Art attempting to capture the ephemeral contemporary aesthetic which continues to influence mainstream graphics. The exhibition will visit 8 locations starting in Coventry in October 2010 and finishing in Carlisle in December 2012. For more exhibition details including dates and locations please click here.