Using Art to Promote Health and Wellbeing in Schools

As creative subjects get increasingly squeezed from the curriculum, more and more research is being published proving the health benefits of engaging young people in the arts.

When young people are stimulated to be creative and imaginative, they begin to connect with the world around them, gain confidence and develop resilience.

Art & Craft For Your School.

We love to come into your school and deliver art and craft days! We are happy to work with any age group and tailor all our craft activities accordingly. We have particular expertise in producing high quality art installations using recycled materials - therefore we are eco-friendly and we can keep your costs down! Our tutors are all CRB checked and have extensive experience working in schools. Prices start from £100 per session (morning or afternoon) - please contact Katharine Wright for more details or email us at create@leicestershirecraftcentre.co.uk with details of your project.

One-Off Art Projects

Want to mark a special occasion? Got an old tired wall that needs updating? Let us run a special one-off art project for you. We can involve the entire school, one particular year group, or perhaps a selection of particular students. We promise we will help the children to produce something unique that enhances their school environment for many years to come.

Here are just a selection of the projects we have undertaken:

June 2019 - We created a stunning mosaic with a Year 5 class to commemorate the mother of a pupil.

May 2016 - At Spratton C of E Primary School, 55 children and teachers created a collaborative collage for the entrance.

"I am so pleased with the collage. Everyone had a brilliant day and we are already thinking about other craft projects that we might 'need' to do in school. Thank you so much for your hard work."

Claire Radd, Headteacher

In March 2016, we spent a week at Parkland Primary School, South Wigston, creating two art installations with Year 3 and Year 4 students. 

During the Autumn and Spring Terms 2015-16 we visited St Thomas More Catholic Primary School in Kettering. We created a variety of artworks for the school, but the largest was an art installation of 325 doves creating a rainbow in the School hall.

In October 2015, we spent three days at St Josephs Catholic Primary School working on a mixed media project with the entire school. It has resulted in a fabulous Klimt inspired 'Tree of Life' for the school corridor.

We visited Leicester Grammar Junior School Foundation Stage to create a fabulous 'Weaving Tree'. We also worked with the whole school to make a patchwork quilt for the headteacher who was retiring.

We produced two pieces of artwork for Water Leys Primary School, Wigston in 2013-14. A school-wide 'Everlasting Garden' and an Autumn panel of Felted Leaves made by the Year 5 pupils.

Art & Craft Days

We can help enhance your curriculum provision with art days focusing on specific artists, topics or techniques. Or simply visit to give the children a special experience during your Creative Week.

In February 2022 we visited Abbey Mead Primary School to work on Picasso Portraits in Clay with Year 4 pupils.

Pre lockdown we regularly visited Land of Learning in Leicester to deliver art classes.

Christmas 2021 we visited Leicester Grammar Junior School to do a Christmas Needlefelted Decorations Day with Year 6 and a Wreath Making Session with Year 4. We also delivered a relaxing needlecraft session with the teaching staff.

From 2017-2019 we worked with Year 5 and 6 students on a weekly basis at Leighfield Primary School, Uppingham introducing them to a wide range of art and craft skills and techniques.

We worked with Great Bowden Academy, Market Harborough from 2013-2017. 

We visited Ridgeway Primary Academy, Market Harborough in 2015 and 2016, to deliver a series of workshops on Sculpture to every class.

We visited Lubenham Primary School, Lubenham in the Summer term 2016 to deliver art and craft sessions to the Year 5/6 students around the theme of Victorians.

We worked with St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kettering on a twice weekly basis creating a series of school-wide artworks for the school in 2016

From 2014-2019 we visited Leicester University to provide crafting sessions to students as part of their social programme.

 Arts Award and Artsmark

Katharine Wright is qualified as an Arts Award advisor in the Discover and Explore levels (Age 5-11) and can deliver and moderate these qualifications. We also have tutors who can deliver Arts Award at Bronze and Silver levels if required.

If you are a school with Artsmark, or looking to achieve Artsmark status then offering Arts Awards sits perfectly alongside this.  

Part of the qualification process for Artsmark involves giving every pupil access to an artist or an arts organisation - we can tailor-make projects for your school so that you can fulfil this criteria.  

We provided a series of textile sessions for pupils at Ridgeway Academy in 2014-15 helping them to achieve Artsmark status. This year we will be returning in 2016 to work on sculptures with all year groups.

BeSkild Day at Kegworth Primary School, Kegworth

Katharine was delighted to be invited to the BeSkild Day at Kegworth Primary School in March 2016 as Visiting Artist. The children from six local schools spent the daylearning about paper sculpture and practising their own techniques before creating a sculpture to take home.

Long Whatton Primary School, Loughborough

We spent an afternoon with Long Whatton Primary School making Kandinsky inspired circles on calico with oil pastels. These have been made into curtains for the Year One classroom.

Manor Farm Primary School, Northampton

We hosted a session at the Craft Centre with the Year 2 class who all came and made personalised bunting for their classroom. We also visited the school to help them create an art installation based on their 'Messy and Muddy' work.

BarleyCroft Primary School, Leicester.

We were delighted to be invited to run a Christmas craft session in December 2014 to children from Years 1-6 who had gained 100 points for good behaviour and work throughout the term. All the children who took part enjoyed it and went home with Christmas decorations and wreaths.

Paper Sculpture with St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

Paper Sculpture with Foundation Stage, Ridgeway Primary Academy

Great Bowden Academy Crafting and the Curriculum 2013-14

Goldilocks & The Three Bears with Reception.

Mosaic Making with Year 4.

Greek Tragedy Masks with Year 5.

Schools we have worked with:

Water Leys Primary School, Wigston, Leicester

Long Whatton Primary School, Loughborough

St Josephs Catholic Primary School, Market Harborough

Manor Farm Primary School, Moulton Northampton

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kettering

Great Bowden Academy, Market Harborough

Ridgeway Primary Academy, Market Harborough

Leicester Grammar Junior School, Great Glen

Barleycroft Primary School, Beaumont Leys, Leicester

Welland Park Academy, Market Harborough

Abbey Mead Primary School, Leicester

Land of Learning, Leicester