Our Journey

2022

Fox Hollies Headteacher Sinead Davies and project lead Grace Mahar successfully gained seed funding from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games youth programme 'Bring the Power' to build Common Ground Arts.

Their aim was to create a programme that increased meaningful arts access for young people with severe and complex SEND at Fox Hollies School. The programme was created as a direct response to the significant barriers to mainstream arts opportunities that SEN students face.

The newly-developed Common Ground Arts programme supportedartists-in-residence at Fox Hollies School, with the aim of developing a quality arts curriculum for SEN students, creatingcommunity links, and broadening meaningful arts engagement.

In the summer of 2022, students' artistic journeys were publicly exhibited and celebrated at the Midlands Arts Centre alongside documentary films of their experiences. The exhibition was shared with parents, carers, local schools, and the wider community over a 3-day exhibition.

2023

Building on the success of Common Ground Arts 2022, Fox Hollies School expanded the programme to encompass  Birmingham Special Schools’ Cooperative Trust: Fox Hollies, Baskerville, Dame Ellen Pinsent, Longwill, Wilson Stuart, The Pines, and Hamilton. The schools worked collectively in a peer network on the program to increase arts access for 1154 SEN students.

In early 2023, the programme gained Arts Council and Arts Connect funding and received continued support from the United By 2022 Legacy Charity. These grants funded 7 freelance artists to work in each of the Cooperative Trust SEN schools, and a videographer was hired to capture students' experiential learning.

These 7 artist residencies were celebrated during a high-quality public 5-day exhibition at the Midlands Arts Centre. Students from each of the SEN schools visited the exhibition and were given the opportunity to take part in new workshops from artists working in different schools. The exhibition was visited by over 1800 people over 4 days.

At the end of 2023, Common Ground Arts Residency, Bluebell Films, and Longwill School won a National Television Society award for the best creative community film.

2024

Building on the huge success of the 2023 Common Ground Arts, the Midlands Arts Centre increased its partnership with the programme, scheduling the 2024 exhibition for an extended period and across a weekend to increase access for the viewing public. 

The programme received significant financial support from the United By 2022 Legacy Charity, funding 7 new artist residencies, one in each of the SEN schools. In addition to the artist residencies, a videographer will be capturing films that showcase the student experiences during the programme. The peer network of teachers continues to use a school-improvement model to improve arts access for young people with SEN. 

In addition to the artist residencies, the 2024 programme has developed a new continuous professional development CPD resource for SEN teachers and arts practitioners working in SEN. A series of practical videos will capture and share valuable learning and knowledge learnt from the program to date. They are free films demonstrating arts ideas for teachers and SEN guidance for artists.

Exhibition dates: Friday, 21st June, until Thursday, 27th

Vision for the future

  • Continue to offer meaningful arts residencies at SEN schools within the cooperative trust to improve curriculums, teaching and learning, and student experiences.

  • Share learning with SEN professionals, artists, and parents/carers to positively contribute to wider change in arts access for the SEN community.

  • Further develop community links for students with SEN within the arts sector and across a community of SEN schools.