For ten years, Kunstkuren has been bringing art and culture into the classroom: “It is important that children learn to express themselves creatively” (Antwerp)

Was it a weekday Thursday morning for the first year students of the urban primary school Klavertjevier in the Jozef Balstraat in Berchem? Undoubtedly not. Not only did the newspaper come to visit, there was also a mysterious box ready. You don’t let a tenth birthday pass by without a present, and certainly not in a primary school.

In the box, the students found party hats, balloons, flags and streamers, among other things. They turned it into an artistic party for an hour, and were continuously challenged to think creatively and express themselves both in language and in movement.

“It is very important that children dare to throw themselves around,” says Patricia Goemare. She teaches at the academy in Berchem and works on the project as an art teacher. “We do a lot about language, which is of great importance in many urban primary schools in Antwerp. There are also students here who come from, for example, Ukraine and are very introverted. During Kunstkuren they can make themselves heard in a much freer environment, if they wish. Small but important steps are being taken here. Self-development is essential.”

Every week, for three school years, an art teacher from an Antwerp academy works for six lessons in one of the 42 participating primary schools so far. Patricia, for example, works on words and drama, while other schools teach visual arts or music.

Creative wind

“The idea is that we match a school from compulsory education with an academy,” says Joke Klaassen, project coordinator of Kunstkuren. “The children are then taught by someone who is involved in art, which often provides a completely different approach and a creative breeze through the classroom. Here in Berchem they work around words and drama, so the students learn to discover theater in a playful way. Classroom topics are often also incorporated into the lessons.”

“Few teachers in primary education are trained in word, music and visual arts. For the academy teacher, the composition of the class is much more challenging. They usually work with children who speak the language well and are also creatively supported and challenged at home.”

Joke Klaassen about co-teaching

Project coordinator Art cures

“We also want to introduce students who do not speak the language at home and/or never come into contact with art and culture to this wonderful world. Children who want can also register for our after-school project. We dive a little deeper into that creative pool.”

Which is also an essential pillar of the project: co-teaching. The academy teacher gets to know the mechanisms of an ‘ordinary’ classroom, while the teacher immerses himself in the cultural pool.

“They always teach together, to strengthen each other,” says Joke Klaassen. “We notice that many teachers in primary education do not always have the skills to provide high-quality music lessons. Which makes perfect sense, by the way. Few are trained in speech, music and visual arts. For the academy teacher, the composition of the class is much more challenging. They usually work with children who speak the language well and are also creatively supported and challenged at home.”

“It is a very enriching collaboration,” says Gitte Tielemans. She is one of two first-year classroom teachers. “You learn a lot together with the children every time. In the past, it was a task to prepare plays or a musical lesson. By teaching together with Patricia, we notice that small assignments, close to the children’s living environment, are the best exercises. I enjoy it every time.”