Creative Interactions: Teaching with the OU’s Art Collection

• Project Team: Clare TaylorHeather Richardson
• Subject Discipline: Arts and Humanities
• Theme: Multisensory/multimodal learningOnline and blended tuition
• Project Aim: Improves and enhance the learning experience of students
• Status: Complete
• Date: July 2018 to July 2019

This pilot project brings together two disciplines from the School of Arts & Humanities, Creative Writing and Art History. It investigates the ways in which students from both disciplines studying at Level 2 can learn by interrogating an art work, using and sharing the particular approaches of each discipline. The OU’s own Art Collection provides an underused opportunity to exploit the University’s resources in teaching this aspect of the Arts & Humanities. Consisting of sculpture, painting and prints the collection is particularly strong in works from twentieth century British artists, including David Tindle, Edward Bawden, Mary Fedden and the collective Art & Language. This is complemented by a significant holding of non-western works collected at the start of the millennium including bark paintings, prints and sculpture. A limited selection of works can be viewed online.

From an Art History perspective, the project addresses the issue of the QAA criteria in Art & Design that students interact face to face with works of art in order to develop skills in analysis and visual literacy. From a Creative Writing perspective, the project would draw on the long tradition of ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by art works). Creative Writing tutors often use visual materials in activities as prompts for poems and stories. The QAA notes that CW students are developing skills as both maker and critic. Bringing these two groups of students together to work with the OU Art Collection offers an opportunity for creative and critical synergies.

This project led to the Creative Interactions: Phase 2 project.