A visit to an exhibition can provide inspiration, spark a myriad of ideas and connections, and generate a sense of possibility. Exhibition visits can also be used to provide pupils with important context for their work.
We encourage people to take time and to look carefully. To think about overall impressions and also about fine detail. Artist-led activities in the gallery tend to employ a co-learning approach. Pupils, teachers, artists and others bring their own responses to the work, drawing initially on personal experience and then on the experience and knowledge of others. There is no right or wrong answer, but learning develops through dialogue and discussion. The work is enquiry based; it is about asking questions, experimentation and investigation.
This develops visual and emotional literacy as we decode and make meaning of what we are seeing. It also builds confidence as young people take ownership of their own responses and opinions.
These skills are generic and do not depend on the particular content of an exhibition. Don’t rush the process – the more you look, the more you see.