Case study STEAM: CLEANING UP STEAM Network THE PROJECT

To the east of Beachy Head, Britain’s highest chalk sea cliff, sits the seaside town of Eastbourne, . With a rich history of both famous art (Claude Debussy, George Orwell, Eric Ravilious) and science (Frederick Soddy, Thomas Henry Huxley, Bruce Woodgate) connections, it provided a fitting location for the birth of a new network seeking to combine the two subject areas, in a curriculum-crossing approach to learning. Supported by Artswork as part of its mission to increase creative learning opportunities in schools across the South East, the Eastbourne STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) Network formed in November 2017. Education, arts and science organisations came together, along with six participating secondary schools from Eastbourne and the surrounding area, to investigate the ways art and science could work simultaneously, in a series of cross-curricular projects. Photography was the tool chosen to communicate learning. Through combined arts-based and scientific inputs and activities, the programme centred on raising pupil awareness of the need for urgent ecological and environmental change, and to protect the world’s oceans and coastlines from plastic pollution.

“The cross-curricular nature [of the project] meant that students could transfer skills and understand that subjects are not all separate from each other. Also, they could understand that art can be a powerful and evocative tool to communicate a message.”

(Teacher)

THE PEOPLE

PARTNERS: • Eastbourne Schools Partnership (led by ) • Photoworks • STEM Sussex

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: • Cavendish School • Eastbourne College • • Willingdon Community School • Eastbourne Academy • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS

The programme was structured around a • Introduction to marine ecology as a series of CPD sessions, designed to enable unifying theme schools in working together, sharing ideas and best practice, with support from a Following discussions in this session, team of artists. Photoworks, a national teachers decided to focus on the issue of development agency for photography, single-use plastic and its impact on our were responsible for coordinating oceans. professional development sessions with teachers, as well as supporting schools Session two: throughout, and delivering events that tied • Developing collaborative project ideas in with the project themes. Juliette Buss (with input from artist team and marine led CPD sessions, with input from ecologists) photographer/video artist, Annis Joslin, • All teachers offered Arts Award (Bronze/ and photographer Elizabeth Doak. Silver) adviser training STEM Sussex provided experts in marine ecology from their pool of STEM Teachers then went away to plan their Ambassador Science Educators, who also projects in their respective schools. fed in to the CPD sessions, and visited the schools too. One art teacher and one Session three: science teacher from each school were • Opportunities to review and extend invited to attend the sessions. project plans • Shared learning from each other and Session one: from the artist team • Introduction to the programme • Encouraging schools to embrace Project activity then took place in creativity individual schools between February half • Introducing teachers to photographers term and the end of June (2018). whose work combined art and science • Learning new photographic techniques Session four: • Opportunities to reflect on processes telephone conversation at the teachers’ and learning outcomes convenience. • Preparation for the final exhibition Overall, teachers wished there had • Discussion on the best ways to gain been even more time for CPD and would further evaluation data like to repeat the process again in the future. This session was facilitated by evaluation partners, Culture Shift. Teachers from three of the participating schools attended and “It opened my eyes to the shared presentations about their individual true problems our world projects. Following this final CPD session, faces.” Culture Shift created two online questionnaires: one aimed at teachers, (Pupil) and one at students. These were shared with all participating schools, alongside an offer to follow up any feedback with a THE BEACH CLEAN

In March 2018, pupils from the STEAM Network schools spent a day at Eastbourne beach, working with artists, scientists and teachers, researching and exploring the impact of plastics on beaches and marine life. The first part of the day was spent collecting, sorting and clearing plastic and other rubbish from the beaches, with help from Eastbourne Borough Council, Surfers Against Sewage, STEM Sussex, and the Marine Conservation Society. In the afternoon, photographer Elizabeth Doak led a programme of creative photography activities, with support from the rest of the artist team. The activities were designed to help students investigate the debris they had collected, through the medium of photography. Several schools went on to incorporate the actual items found during the beach clean into their individual projects. Later in the month, a film produced of the beach clean day was screened at the Big Bang STEAMFEST in East Sussex. Students and teachers were also invited to attend Big Bang South East in June. DIFFERENT SCHOOL APPROACHES

Four of the six participating schools took • Looked at the work of contemporary part in all stages of the process, photographers, concentrating on artists completing the in-school project known for exploring environmental according to the brief, and exhibiting work themes, or those working with waste and in the final exhibition. recycled materials. Students also worked towards their Bronze Arts Award. WILLINGDON COMMUNITY SCHOOL • Experimented with documenting and • Approached the project through an recording their work in journals - a useful extra-curricular STEAM club, run jointly process for seeing the differences and by a science teacher and an art teacher. similarities between scientific and artistic Attendance varied, but in total 33 processes of documentation. students participated in the project. • A visiting marine biologist delivered a talk on ocean ecology, with a focus on “More than any other the impact of plastic on the environment. school, Eastbourne • Items collected during the beach clean day were used alongside other recycled College combined their materials to create sculptures. These art and science learning were then taken back to the beach and photographed, as if emerging fully- activities so that the formed from the sea. boundaries between the EASTBOURNE COLLEGE two disciplines were • Also delivered the project as an extra- curricular STEAM club, with a group of blurred: scientific 10 students in Years 9 and 10. • Students from Year 13 assisted in the investigations produced documentation of the STEAM club art; artistic investigations students’ work, which was used towards their Gold Arts Award qualification. produced science.” • A marine ecologist gave a talk on plastic waste. (Culture Shift)

Students at Eastbourne College experimented by taking photographs engage with the work of contemporary through a microscope. The resulting photographers, as well as share articles images were displayed as part of the final about photography and marine exhibition. Pigments were extracted from a conservation. The result: a rich archive of range of algae, and thin layer artistic and scientific exploration. chromatography was used to separate the photosynthetic pigments. Other SEAFORD HEAD SCHOOL photographic processes explored • Students were taken off timetable to included cyanotypes, photograms and work intensively on the project. lumen prints. • They began by exploring the impact of In keeping with this integrated single-use plastics on marine ecology. approach, the college used a multi-media This included a school visit from a STEM Padlet application to record and share Sussex Ambassador and representative work. This enabled students to document from Surfers Against Sewage. both scientific and artistic processes, • Following the beach clean day, students exploring ideas around natural beauty and learnt in a variety of ways, including pollution, as well as form and colour. using traditional data-based reports and Other students looked at the idea of creating photograms, using items found plastic waste ‘entering the food chain’, by during the clean. making sculptures of plastic smoothies and sushi. These were then photographed. The photograms were then used to create They also photographed items found flyers on recycled paper, drawing on ideas on the beach, and displayed them of political activism as inspiration. submerged in jars of liquid as part of their contribution to the final exhibition. EASTBOURNE ACADEMY • Also took inspiration from the CPD “Art and science work sessions and the beach clean to produce photographic work exploring the theme really well together. It is a of plastic pollution. good idea because • Students worked individually, in pairs, or in small groups, to produce the work. everything is closely

Some took photographs and used digital linked.” editing software to enhance them, (Pupil) CHALLENGES AND LEARNING

The programme was led by Linda Salway too. Culture Shift found in their evaluation at Eastbourne College, in partnership with of data from the project that one of the Juliette Buss from Photoworks. Some main issues was “communication with coordination support was provided by teachers…in particular, encouraging Trudie Godfrey from Cavendish School teachers to engage in meetings and (also Lead Teacher for this school). participate in agreed reporting”, including In general, teachers praised the sharing planning documents and project team for their support. When asked evaluation materials. “Unavoidable how effective they felt the team had been absence of key staff at the start of the in “steering and supporting the work”, programme also resulted in some unclear teachers responded with an average rating communication around project of 4.33 (with 5 being the highest). expectations”, the report explains. In analysing this, Culture Shift While partners worked well together in propose that some of the difficulties many ways, there were, at times, difficulties partners encountered could “reflect broader challenges faced by teachers and uncommunicative.” “Unfortunately, it schools”, on a more general level. In seems that these difficulties also speak to evaluations, several teachers reported a the low status currently afforded to the arts “lack of time and resources to commit to (and creativity more generally) in the project”. Another teacher explained education”, explain Culture Shift. that, while prompts and reminders were Somewhat tellingly, when marine “constructive and meetings were well- ecologists offered to visit the schools, they spaced”, attendance was quite had much more success. These offers were “inconsistent”, due to schools working on a taken up by at least four schools. Some range of different timetables. schools said they felt the CPD input was “too arts-heavy” too. “These difficulties also Despite this, “teachers valued being challenged to work differently…the artist speak to the low status team worked hard to encourage teachers to adopt a more process-led, exploratory currently afforded to the approach.” arts (and creativity more The project’s longevity presented a challenge for some. Several teachers generally) in education.” described how they could see that “off- timetable intensive work was more (Culture Shift) effective and engaging for students than weekly sessions”, but felt this was much

harder to achieve, because it would entail Photoworks brought in two artists to “additional costs to schools”, and because contribute to the CPD sessions with of this, it would be “difficult to replicate”. teachers, as well as the beach clean and Interestingly, the school least the curation of the exhibition itself. constrained by such pressures was Teachers reported that the artists worked Eastbourne College - the only well together; overall the input was independent school in the project. Culture praised by schools. However, an offer for Shift’s evaluation reports that teachers at the artists to visit schools in order to work the College “appear to have been afforded directly with students and enhance teacher the greatest amount of space and license learning was not taken up. There was a to follow a programme of scientific and reported frustration amongst the artist creativity discovery”. As a result, they say team that the schools who seemed to have “the process was freer, and the resulting struggled the most with the process were work deeper.” also “the most resistant to offers of help, and in some cases, the most The beach clean day was repeatedly cited understanding of plastic pollution and its as one of the project’s highlights. It impact on the oceans.” provided a sense of purpose and a focus. Students engaged in creative “It enacted the programme’s aims of learning, developing their skills through working collaboratively” and across the experimenting with a range of curriculum, inspiring students in the photographic techniques, which led to process. “The day created work, became them producing original work. Students’ the subject of a short film, and was comments demonstrate their enthusiasm covered by the local press”, something that for the project. Several comments touch students seemed to really appreciate. As on both personal enjoyment with one teacher explained, “they liked the fact engagement in scientific learning and the media were involved…that it’s not just creative expression. “It was educational our little after-school thing”. and a great way to express creativity”, said one student. “I really enjoyed the process Inspiring Creative Learning of creating a piece. I found the different “Students were inspired by the science activities inspiring”, reported another. topic. It was easily graspable, urgent, and Several students mentioned the relevant to them.” In particular, the beach impact of the project on their clean day “brought home an understanding marine conservation. In fact, the report shows that this was the area their learning through photography. “It with the highest levels of student would be interesting to see if future enthusiasm. Students talked of it giving iterations of this project could explore them a passion for ecology, and how eye- deeper connections and similarities opening the experience had been for between the arts and sciences, rather than them. “It was really interesting to learn simply reinforcing their distinctiveness”, about the harm that we are humans are report Culture Shift. causing. [Taking part in] the beach clean When asked about working with other made me feel really good inside. I schools, students valued meeting other wouldn’t think twice about doing another schools, and liked the fact that others were one”, said one student. taking part in the same project. This was echoed by teachers at the evaluation Some students’ comments demonstrated session too, who felt that working in an approach to science and art as partnership with other schools made the complementary but distinct, where science work feel more significant, meaningful, and is understood as ‘learning facts’, and art is offered students “the chance to feel part of seen as ‘creativity and self-expression’: “It something bigger.” was nice to tie the two together…to learn In fact, many students seemed more about the subject, then make disappointed that this aspect had not been something to express our feelings about more prevalent in the project: “It was nice it.” to meet new people, however, we didn’t There is the possibility that comments like get to interact much”, explained one pupil. this reflect the approach taken by most Furthermore, learning is clear in the schools during this project - choosing to work produced. Students increased their first teach their students the ‘science understanding of marine pollution, and content’, and then having them express boosted their passion and commitment to reducing the impact of plastic on the “I love both the arts and world’s oceans. There is evidence too of the impact made in learning about science so this project contemporary photographers, and being inspired by their work, as well as was really fit for me. It put development of new skills and techniques together facts and (from cyanotypes, lumen prints and photograms, to animation, collage and creativity, to create an sculpture). Learning was often cited by students effective project.” as the most enjoyable part of the

(Pupil) experience, with mention of both art and science. “I enjoyed learning about the “I think we should do statistics, and the science lessons we took more projects like this!” part in”, said one, while another said they liked “the artwork we did and the learning (Pupil) of new techniques usually only practiced by older students”. develop more open-ended and creative The positive effects have have spread learning experiences for their young beyond the parameters of the programme people” (Culture Shift). itself, too. One school has since set up Teachers were pushed beyond their Green Teams, and another has maintained comfort zones and given the space to take an ongoing relationship with Surfers creative risks with the work. At the Against Sewage. Feedback shows a clear evaluation session, all teachers talked appetite for building on this experience. positively about the CPD sessions. “It’s always good to hear the views of others CPD Opportunities for Teachers who are experts in their field”, expressed Teachers were inspired by the professional one. Another praised being able to meet development opportunities that were built other teachers: “You can learn so much by in to the programme. They afforded them talking to teachers from other schools. the chance to work with other schools, Invaluable.” sharing ideas, plans and best practice along the way. Working across arts and sciences Inspiration came from across both presented both opportunities and disciplines. “Marine ecologists inspired an challenges for teaching staff. “Several interest in the urgency of the problem of teachers mentioned logistical difficulties, plastic pollution, and the artist team due to a lack of flexibility in the curriculum challenged the teachers to move beyond and the timetable” (Culture Shift). their initial responses to the brief…to Interestingly, the evaluation report notes that the “schools most able to “We’ve been trying not to overcome these difficulties were ones where there was clear senior management say this is science and this support for the programme”. is art.” Despite challenges, teachers saw the value of the experience for their future practice, and many wished there had been (Teacher) more time for CPD or would have liked to have repeated the process. “This for me is opportunities to work collaboratively, the best aspect, learning from other across other disciplines and alongside schools and considering how we might other schools in the region. structure future projects”, explained one The programme was challenged by a teacher. Others praised the value of being number of factors, including pressure on able to work across the curriculum: “I can teachers’ time, the difficulty for schools in go years without visiting the science block taking on projects additional to the and vice versa…” “[The project] has existing curriculum, working across blurred the lines between art and science. different departments, and a lack of We tend to put things in silos in schools.” flexibility in timetabling. “These challenges Another echoed the project’s ethos of were compounded by some additional working in a cross-curricular nature, difficulties around communication with explaining that it meant that “students can schools, setting project expectations, and transfer skills and understand that subjects clarity around roles and responsibilities are not all separate from each other”. within the project team at the start” (Culture Shift). Sharing the Learning Despite challenges, teachers and There were opportunities to share the students actively engaged in the work and learning from this programme too. A short “derived value from it”, explain Culture film about the beach clean was produced Shift. and is to be shared by participating schools. Alongside this, the exhibition of “There was significant students’ work was hosted at the Birley Centre. Running from 21 June for three arts and science learning, weeks, 150 visitors came to look at the work. Learning is also set to be shared as well as high levels of more widely with the Eastbourne Schools enjoyment.” Partnership.

(Culture Shift) Conclusions This programme demonstrated the benefits for both students and teachers in There is an appetite amongst partner working across/with a combination of art schools to build on this work with further and science subject matter. Feedback programmes. Should another programme clearly shows that structured CPD was be funded, the evaluation explains, it valued greatly by teachers, and that both “would be interesting to see if deeper teachers and pupils enjoyed the engagement between arts and sciences is possible”, a move that would see schools feeling more able to move beyond using arts primarily as a tool for communicating academic subjects. Something that would lead to the arts being used more prevalently as “a method of exploration and discovery” in their own right.