Pupil perceptions of learning with artists: A new order of experience?

For many years schools have employed visiting artists to work with pupils on project-based activities. While there is no lack of evidence of the capacity of some artists to motivate pupils, there is little extant research that identifies how pupils describe their experience of learning with artists who champion contemporary arts practice. This article reports findings from a post hoc study in which pupils reflect on their experience of learning with a visiting composer and 3 professional musicians. The data for this qualitative interpretive case study were obtained from semi-structured interviews with a carefully chosen sample of 27 pupils who represented a range of ages (between 11 and 19). All had participated in a series of workshops which extended over an 18-month period in which visiting artists facilitated a series of ‘creative days’ at a range of off-site settings, including two residential weekends, where participating pupils were engaged in collaboratively creating and performing newly composed pieces. Three key themes emerged from the data: (i) developing meaningful learning relations with the pupils; (ii) engaging the emotional dimension of learning; and (iii) the significance of the physical contexts for learning. We then discuss the educational significance of pupils’ perspectives on their experiences of learning with artists, the implications for educational partnerships that tune into their experiences, and the impact on creating a new order of experience for pupils as active participants in their learning.