DAD provides opportunities for young people to get involved in creative activity through a range of different projects, enabling them to develop their creative and critical-thinking skills and ability to innovate. Engagement in the arts is known to boost engagement in core curriculum subjects  while an opportunity to take part in an arts activity can provide time for contemplation, dreaming, concentration and experimentation and can relieve the pressure of having to get things “right”.

I believe that an excellent art education is an entitlement for all young people. It provides an opportunity for young people to imagine and encourages them to explore ideas, to be inquisitive, to problem solve, to be persistent and also to collaborate with others, shaping creative individuals who can think independently and can contribute positively to society. It encourages a sense of well being and helps young people develop an understanding of the world in which we all live and a tolerance towards others. (Petra Matthews-Crow, former Head of Arts at Astor College for the Arts, Dover)

Dover Arts Development worked with a network of schools, led by Astor College, on a STEAM initiative to help facilitate a strong link to develop between the arts and sciences at the participating schools through cross curricular and project based learning, underpinned by the concept of creativity across the curriculum.

The overarching theme was identified as ‘the Universe’ and our STEM partner is the University of Kent. The School of Physical Sciences Astrodome visits schools across Kent seeing an average of 4000 students throughout the academic year. Inside the dome the student demonstrators are able to take the students on a tour of the solar system using the software Stellarium, which is free to download at home, as well as show short animated films from NSC Creative about Alien Life and the Electromagnetic Spectrum. The Astrodome is a free activity for schools to book through the SPS website https://www.kent.ac.uk/physical-sciences/outreach/index.html

The project provided CPD opportunities for teachers, Arts award opportunities for students and resulted in a resource for the schools and teachers to share. The participating schools worked towards achieving Artsmark status

Supported with investment from Artswork, the South East Bridge

DAD is an Arts Award supporter and many of our projects have enabled children and young people to obtain their Arts Award certificates. Arts award is a range of unique qualifications that supports anyone aged up to 25 to grow as artists and arts leaders, inspiring them to connect with and take part in the wider arts world through taking challenges in an art form. There are 5 Arts Award levels.

Find out more about the Impact of Arts Award on young people

Our list of contributors is a great place to start discovering the artists who have worked with us.

Please get in touch if you would like to meet an artist or take part in an arts activity and we will do what we can to help.