Sir Frank Bowling, one of Britain’s most celebrated abstract painters, is selling prints of his work to help fund art supplies for 100 primary schools in England as part of a project that he hopes will be a “gamechanger” in art education by making state school students realise art isn’t off limits.
Proceeds from the sale of 100 hand-signed prints will fund “art packages”, including canvas, paint and a six-lesson curriculum that could give about 30,000 primary schoolchildren an “alternative” introduction to art.
The project comes as arts education in state schools is under threat with spending per pupil in England falling by nearly 10% in real terms since 2009 and many institutions having to cut back on provision.
Many teachers have criticised the government’s approach to art education, particularly the decision to introduce the English baccalaureate, which excludes all arts subjects – while private schools are free to focus on the arts.
A study by the Fabian Society in 2019 found that 68% of primary school teachers in England felt there was less arts education now than in 2010, with just under half believing the quality had decreased.
Bowling’s son, Ben Bowling helped organise the project, which hopes to raise £500,000. He said: “Bridging that gap and enabling children of all ages, irrespective of their family background or their means, to have access to art education and material is the goal.”
He said the project’s objective was “widening access in the most direct and immediate sense” for schoolchildren.
