NSEAD is not an organisation that is given to knee-jerk reactions, nor do we follow the crowd. Those working in schools will know that industrial action is a very real possibility this autumn, as the education trade unions consult with their members ahead of a ballot for action.

In the last week of the summer term, the UK government announced its proposed 2022/23 pay award for teachers in schools in England; whilst colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been given very similar pay offers. All are well below inflation so would be in real terms a pay cut not a pay rise.

The education unions are united in the belief that teachers deserve better. However, NSEAD is clear that there can be no pay award unless there is also adequate funding for schools to properly reward, recruit and retain teachers. NSEAD believes that an improved pay award that is not adequately funded will put our members' jobs at risk.

As always, we take a more nuanced view of the national picture, with your subject specialist interests in the spotlight.

We are now seeking your views on pay, school funding and industrial action. If you are a member of the NSEAD Trade Union, and working in an English school, you will have received an invitation to vote in a consultative ballot. We want to know what, if any action you want to take. This is a critical moment, as we decide whether to take these issues to a formal postal ballot.

What you say will determine what happens next.

Take part, and make your voice heard.

Michele Gregson

General Secretary

The iJADE (International Journal of Art & Design Education) Annual Conference has been described as being 'supportive', 'great for networking' and 'a great way for art and design educators to come together, share thoughts, practices, concerns, research'. Everyone is welcome to attend one, two or all three days of the conference.

The keynote speakers on Friday 11 November are Professor Emeritus Dennis Atkinson and artist Sonia Boué.

You can read about Sonia and her work in the latest issue of AD magazine here, and watch her most recent three-minute film work The Artist is not Present here.

This evening we were joined by art consultant Paul Carney to discuss drawing in the primary phase.

If you couldn't make it, don't worry, we recorded the session and will be sharing it soon on our NSEAD Inspirations You Tube channel here.

The next Primary Art: Ask NSEAD facebook live is in December, so head over to Facebook and join the group!

When: Thursday 20 October 16.00-17.00

Where: Online

The first of NSEAD's termly get-togethers, offering a chance to network with other members, get to know what's happening around our professional learning community and discuss key topics currently on art educator minds. 

Re/Connect with colleagues and peers - stay for as long as you are able - this is a very informal online social gathering! 

The Mind the Art Gap programme will provide a safe community space for ECT teachers, through a mixture of on-demand content, digital live events and a social network to share ideas, research and practice. 

Themes covered include:

• Managing Behaviour
• Professional practice
• Examinations
• Curriculum and pedagogy
• The Big Landscape

The next session, Managing Behaviour, will be accessible from  Monday 10 October, so register now!

When: Thurs, 10 November 13.30-17.00

Where: Online

During this session, NSEAD President Elect and consultant Marlene Wylie will work with you to unpick what makes an Effective Leader of Anti-Racist Art Education. Marlene is a founding member of the NSEAD Anti-Racist Art Education Action group (ARAEA). This course will build on the ARAEA checklists, exploring how they can be applied to your curriculum and the needs of your learners.

NSEAD has developed a series  checklists on pay, performance management and workload impact assessment policies for members to navigate and understand their own school/college policies.

Our checklists allow members to check whether their employer adheres to the ‘minimum’ standards of what NSEAD expects their policy should include.

When: 12 October 2022, 16.00-17:30

Where: Online

Cost: Free

This will be an interactive co-produced session that will lead us through activities and discussions, allowing education provisions and professionals to examine opportunities to develop an anti-racist approach to learning in the classroom. Experts on anti-racism in education will be leading the co-produced part of the CPD. They will be using NSEAD’s Anti-Racist Art Education Checklists to underpin the session.

Join the Crafts Council, NSEAD's Sophie Leach, consultant Emily Gopaul, and more, to discuss and make plans for decolonising the craft, art and design curriculum.

When: 7 October 2022, 15:45-16:30

Where: Online

As part of Oracy October, Voice 21, the UK’s oracy education charity, is offering a series of webinars and resources on the theme ‘Speaking like a Specialist’.

While most of our communication skills can be universally applied, talk in different subject areas and disciplines has varying purposes. Raising students’ awareness of these differences supports them to become flexible and resilient communicators.

When: 26 October 2022, 15.00-17.00

Cost: Free

This event is open to the Anti-Ableist Pedagogy Research Group (SIG) members. Sign up to to join the group.

The third meeting for Disability in British Art will explore a range of artworks made by socially-engaged artists whose practice sought to offer a wider insight into what it is to be human, opening up societal taboos to scrutiny.

For his paper Colin Hambrook has chosen artworks from across four decades that crosses different genres, media and levels of public profile with a view to opening up a conversation about different strands within Disability Arts practice.

NEATEN North East Art Teacher Educator Network

Skills Share Session on Printmaking

When: Thu 20 Oct 2022 16:30 - 18:30

Where: Framwellgate School, DH1 5BQ

NEATEN The Big Draw: Colour Rap

When: 22 Oct 2022, 13.00 - 16.00 

Where: Durham Sixth Form Centre, NE38 7HN

NEATEN Termly Meeting

When: Thurs 10 November 2022, 17.00 - 19.00

Where: BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Level 1.

The Global Canvas competition aims to support children and young people to become effective advocates for wildlife conservation and biodiversity. The competition is free to enter and open to groups or individuals aged 4-16 years with judging split 4-7 years, 8-11 years and 12-16 years.

Group and individual entries will be judged separately. Entries will be accepted from now until 10th February 2023 here.

There are prizes for all age groups, as individuals and groups.

Image: The Colour Palace, a temporary pavilion by Yinka Ilori and Price Gore at Dulwich Picture Gallery for London Design Festival 2019. Photo courtesy of Yinka Ilori

When: Sept 2022 - Mar 2023

Craft School: Yinka's Challenge is a nationwide competition to get primary and secondary school students to submit a craft project on one of three themes: play, storytelling, and empowerment. 

The programme is free for education provisions and learners from KS1 to KS4, and learners can participate individually or as collaborative groups.

To support teachers and learners through the challenge, the Crafts Council has developed digital resources, engaging video content and further specialist CPD sessions.

In spring 2023 the challenge will culminate in a prize-giving event at the Crafts Council Gallery in London. 

Image credit: dot-art Schools

Established in 2012, dot-art Schools is an inter-school art competition for children in Year 5 and Year 9 in the Liverpool City Region. The competition gives children the opportunity to develop their artistic side, have their skills recognised and envision a future career in the arts.  

The annual competition ends with an awards ceremony and winner's exhibition in Liverpool.

For most children the exhibition is the first time they can really show off their creativity to their parents and peers, giving them the confidence and drive to continue making art.  

Schools from the Liverpool City region can register from now until December, on the dot-art Schools website.

The World Reimagined Project and its learning programme seeks to build the knowledge and skills that underpin racial justice, which empower us to overcome divisions; Rejects hatred for compassion; Moves from despair to hope in order for everyone to take actions that make racial justice a reality in our society.

Created with artists, teachers and educationalists, the World Reimagined Learning Programme is an experiential and transformative journey for students, teachers and schools, formed of three parts:

• Learning Outcomes
• The Resources
• Teacher Leadership Development

Berkshire Printmakers are experienced in running silkscreen printing workshops for primary and secondary schools. These include t-shirt printing for Year 6 (ages 10-11) leavers, a project on sustainability and teaching a new technique to Year 10s (ages 14-15). They visit schools in Newbury, Berkshire, North Hants, Oxford and Swindon areas. 

Connect with them on Facebook or contact berkshir-printmakers@yahoo.com

There is an exciting opportunity coming up to collaborate with Pearson Edexcel to produce new teaching and learning materials.

If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Benedict Holmes for further information. 

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 22 November 12pm

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Teacher Development Fund supports teachers and school leaders to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver effective arts-based teaching and learning in the primary classroom.

Partnerships between schools and arts/cultural organisations can apply for grants of up to £150,000.

Join the mailing list to receive updates or apply now.

Deadline for applications: 26 October 2022, 12 noon.

The Big Landscape Research Group is made up of NSEAD members with an interest in developing guidance for members, that defines and exemplifies ‘better practice’ in art and design.

The ‘Big Landscape’ is the principle guidance product created by the group, and NSEAD is transforming this into a project that aims to provide a key resource for the profession, providing not only quality content, but also encouraging conversations, exchange and learning. 

NSEAD is now looking for a dynamic individual who can manage the set-up of the first phase of the Big Landscape project.

Solent University

Solent University is seeking a Module External Examiner for the Visual Communications, Design and Applied Arts Programme.

Leeds Arts University

Leeds Arts University is seeking to appoint an External Examiner for BA (Hons) Fashion Branding with Communication, for a period of 4 years, starting in January 2023.

The University of Salford

The University of Salford in Greater Manchester is looking for an External Examiner for MA Animation.

The University of Hertfordshire 

The University of Hertfordshire is seeking an External Examiner from 01 January 2023 for the Postgraduate Design programme 

University of Gloucestershire

The School of Arts is seeking an external examiner forB.A. (Hons) Fashion Design for immediate start.

Our latest art education advocacy quote is taken from a recent interview between NSEAD's President Elect Marlene Wylie and artist Yinka Shonibore CBE.

Yinka Shonibare is The World Reimagined’s Founding Artist, having conceived both the base globe sculpture and the first Globe to feature in the Trails – The World Reimagined, after which the entire project is named. You can read the interview in the next issue of AD Magazine (#36) published in January 2023.