The East Collaborative Visual Arts Network In Walsall

Welcome to the East Collaborative Arts Magazine in Walsall. This website will demonstrate the work created by student Artists and Art staff from four secondary schools in Walsall, West Midlands. Together they form the East Collaborative Visual Arts Network which contains four Art Departments from St Francis of Assisi CTC, Aldridge Science College, Streetly Sports College and Barr Beacon Language College. The network has been working in collaboration on various art projects which aim to improve the standards of visual arts education and the experience for young aspiring artists.

The network is firmly involved with contemporary art practices, and has developed projects which supports and promotes the visual arts within Walsall. Art Teachers and students from all schools have collaborated to develop artworks which have linked to citizenship, raising awareness to carbon footprint issues, re-cycling materials to create artworks and the hazards of city life on our environment.

These events take place once a year with year 9 students, and it has supported and promoted a healthy intake into GCSE in all schools. The network also communicates through ECAM (East Collaborative Arts Magazine) which is published each term. The magazine offers students and teachers opportunity to share ideas and good practice. We review contemporary artists and exhibitions at galleries within our locality and our teachers demonstrate their own art practice. ECAM publishes our students artwork giving opportunity to share views and extend the student voice. We review cutting edge art processes which promotes continual professional development for staff and develops a greater awareness for our students. Our mission statement is to develop a creative collaborative community.

Mr I. K. Preston (Head of Art, AST at St Francis of Assisi CTC)

Click the banners above, to the left and right , to view our collaborative art projects and our first Exhibition which was held at the Forest Arts Centre in Leamore, Walsall last summer.