Art education for a more gender inclusive and equitable world.
Art and Design education as a discipline has the potential to be diverse, transformative, dynamic, and disruptive and yet much art practice in schools, colleges and HE continue to reflect a white male canonised art history within a narrow nineteenth and twentieth century paradigm. The norms of curriculum, resources, attitudes, and assessment are often at odds with the freedom to explore, and deviate as is the character of contemporary art. This inevitably leads to the perpetuation of a patriarchy in relation to artists studied and an education system that repeats and replicates a gender imbalanced and binary artist approach.
The Gender, Art and Transformative Education Research Group seeks to consider a gender sensitive, responsive and essentially transformative approach to rethink gender equity in art education. It will explore how to raise an active and critical consciousness to broaden a spectrum of possibilities for experienced, felt, embodied, performed, and conceptual gender-related art practices across all phases of education. We have met three times so far since our January launch to discuss, explore and learn from our own experiences and existing research and practice. Our long-term aim is to publish examples of gender transformative approaches, practice and policies which place ALL learners as a compass point – at the centre of art education.
In January 2025, we published a special issue of AD magazine guest edited by Dr Suzy Tutchell, chair of the GATE research group. In her editorial, Suzy says:
'This issue serves as both a tribute and a challenge – a recognition of the progress made in rethinking gender equity in art education, and a call to continue the work with urgency and creativity. It reflects a commitment to creating spaces where every individual can see themselves represented, heard and celebrated where art is a transformative agent.'
A link to the issue is included below (please note: you must be a member of NSEAD to access this resource).
If you would like to join our next meeting or sign up to news about this group please contact [javascript protected email address]
Please also contact Suzy to find out more, or to add your name to our GATE email update list.
This is the Gender, Art and Transformative Education (GATE) special issue. Informed by the work of NSEAD's Special Interest Group of the same name, this…
This course is designed for teachers who are looking to explore their understanding of gender balance in the classroom. You will develop useful and adaptable…