Reflections On: Arts-based learning with Delight
Kathryn Mills, CEO of Delight, an arts-based learning charity in Surrey, explores the power of joy in the classroom:
“It’s wonderful to see how passionately our partner primary schools use the transformative power of arts-based learning to bring about change for children affected by disadvantage. At Delight we collaborate with teachers and artists to create programmes that have a long-term educational impact sparked by joyful classroom experiences.
I founded Delight in 2014 after recognising a gap in the provision of arts-based learning in Surrey. Our team has a passion for education and a deep understanding of how the barriers to learning created by economic disadvantage and special educational needs can be overcome. We have worked in partnership with our arts partners and teachers to develop programmes that engage those who struggle with ‘traditional’ teaching. Our arts-based learning model is proven to be particularly impactful for children with speech, language and motor skills challenges as participation in creative activities supports them to express their feelings, build confidence, and rediscover the joy of learning. We take pride in supporting other organisations and partners in the sector by sharing our impact research and expertise in developing arts-rich learning opportunities.
Some of our biggest successes have been with ‘hard-to-reach’ children; as one teacher reflected “one of our pupils, who had been absent for several weeks, came back to school because of the Delight in Shakespeare launch performance and that helped break the cycle”.
Over the past ten years Delight has become a vibrant, inclusive and effective charity, reaching over 2,000 children each year in Surrey. Seeing the joy in children as they develop their confidence and creativity through making visual arts pieces, performing Shakespeare or dance projects, or engaging with immersive storytelling is a testament to the power of the arts. But arts-based learning takes the joy a step further as every element of the programmes we create links into classroom learning, bringing the curriculum alive with children researching, reading and writing with added pleasure as they are fully invested in the outcome.
The impact of our work on all areas of learning for children who participate in our programmes is powerful, but for children affected by disadvantage and/or special educational needs it is truly profound. Last academic year, 91% of children eligible for Pupil Premium showed improved social outcomes: resilience, self-worth, confidence, communication and teamwork all improved. Of these same children, 74% showed improvement in their fluency of speech, and ability to understand new vocabulary and explain their ideas. At a time when the pressure is on schools to close the attainment gap for disadvantaged groups, bringing them a diverse range of artistic experiences that ignite their imagination and open doors to new possibilities is vital to improving their outcomes.
Another element I love about arts-based learning is its power to connect and bring joy to so many people. Teachers we work with each year frequently say things like “It is one of the best projects I’ve been involved in and I have been teaching for 30 years!”. Amid a teacher retention crisis, we surely need more opportunities for teachers to feel excited about their jobs.
Our goal is to expand our reach in Surrey and the surrounding areas of Croydon and Hampshire. Over the next two years, we are looking to more than double the number of schools and classes engaging with Delight to enable our arts-based learning programmes to positively impact as many children affected by disadvantage as possible and support schools in creating joyful learning experiences.
Children themselves usually put it best as summed up perfectly by a child who said, “I would describe my Delight experience as super fun and it made me feel safe and I kept saying, I’m so excited!”
To find out more about Delight and its work please visit: Home – Delight
