Our Multicultural Environment
Enquiry Question: To explore & identify through photography and observation how Greater Manchester’s built environment is influenced by the diverse culture of its population.
This project with Rose Bridge High School in Wigan, Greater Manchester, was a response to an issue raised from the schools Ofsted inspection in March 2009 which advised continued improvement around the understanding of other cultures. This school in Wigan has a predominant population of British white pupils in keeping with the diversity of the borough itself. The last census reported ‘Minority ethnic persons account for 19% of Manchester’s population but only 1% of Wigans’.
This project sought to reveal how pupils may develop their understanding of other cultures by mapping what is already around them through observing and photographing the built environment.
Additionally, it aimed to further develop pupils understanding of other cultures in Britain and elsewhere in the world.
Sixty Year 8 students explored and identified a variety of codes, conventions and values evident in the built environment. Firstly, pupils made a series of reportage photography (under the guidance of Manchester Photographer Jan Chlebik), exploring cultural and heritage influences within Greater Manchester.
Over six visits to various areas of Greater Manchester and Wigan, the pupils photographed approximately 6000 images. These images were the starting point to a planned public exhibition.
The initial project was solely photography based, which is a developing area of the new Art and Design curriculum across both Key Stages. Discussions with Senior Management suggested that findings and work could cross the curriculum into Performing Arts, Technology, and feature in Humanities and Literature based activities. Discussions with the Creative Agent led to the use of a journalist to allow literacy to play a key part to the visual understanding of the project.
This enquiry or unit module is directly linked to the DFES standards site unit 9C for Key Stage 3 Art ‘Public places, personal spaces’. The unit asks students to investigate through Art ‘how ideas; beliefs and values are represented and shared in their local area and in different times and cultures, including contemporary modern practice’. This allowed the department and the Subject Leader for Art and Design in particular, to explore opportunities outside the confines of the classroom for delivery of key syllabus modules.
This entire project featured as the key to a whole year group’s work for the remainder of the academic year as well as part of a whole school initiative. The aim was to broaden student’s awareness of community cohesion through a cross-curricular activity which the school will continue to run post Creative Partnerships, allowing the ideas and projects to be sustained in the long term.
Impact
This photography and writing project enabled pupils to value cultural diversity, raise awareness and encourage aspirations that can be fulfilled not only in Wigan but much more broadly. The creative activity supported the investigation of how various cultures, values, ideas and beliefs are exhibited in public life. Working in this way supported simple opportunities for discussion and debate in the classroom and encouraged pupils to access the project through a variety of learning approaches.
The impact on the whole year group and eventually whole school was evident through the end of year Arts show which carried the theme of ‘Our multi-cultural environment’. This was attended by 120 parents and stakeholders. The show was a link between the whole Arts faculty and a variety of departments such as Humanities, Languages and Technology. The show featured work from each subject area including dance, music and fashion. With regards to whole school impact, the work was displayed in assemblies and the exhibition of photographs will go on public display in Wigan’s Grand Arcade shopping centre throughout Summer 2010.
