<< Back to: Explore All Resources
AccessArt is a passionate advocate for the value of visual arts education—both for individuals and for society as a whole.
Our ‘Viewpoints’ section include recorded presentations by our CEO, Paula Briggs, along with thought-provoking articles designed to encourage deeper reflection on the purpose and potential of art education.
Three Lenses
A recording of the presentation given by Paula Briggs, CEO & Creative Director AccessArt, at the July 2025 All Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design Education.
In this presentation, Paula shares three lenses which inform our current thinking about what art education needs from us right now.
See the recording
Narrative & Messaging
A recording of the presentation given by Paula Briggs, CEO & Creative Director AccessArt, at the April 2025 All Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design Education. In this presentation, Paula explores the importance of keeping core values in mind when working towards high-quality visual arts education for all, if we are to avoid the contraction of the further subject area. Paula also shares AccessArt’s response to the Interim Curriculum & Assessment Review, and shares some key information about current funding for arts in schools. See the recording
AccessArt response to the Curriculum & Assessment Review Interim Report
Whilst AccessArt welcomes many findings in the report, our intention here is not to summarise the Interim Report – or even comment on the particular findings – but instead, as a Subject Association for Art, to take the opportunity to remain true to AccessArt’s charitable aim, ethos and beliefs, and to state (again) the issues we believe we need to address to ensure a high-quality art education for all. Read more
AccessArt Open Letter to Government
As a Subject Association for Art, and as a Registered Arts Education Charity, AccessArt invites you to sign the open letter to government. Read more
When We Hold Art Education In Our Hands
Recording of a presentation delivered by Paula Briggs, CEO and Creative Director of AccessArt, at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft & Design Education on 17th December 2024. Read more
"Everyone has the right to freedom of expression"
“The government should not make the mistake of thinking that everyone is able to express themselves, and that it is “good enough” to protect that expression. The ability to express ourselves, through the myriad of forms of expression open to us (the visual arts, dance, music, drama and the written and spoken word, to name a few), is something to be nurtured, encouraged and enabled. Humans also need to be supported in discovering, through safe ways, what it is they want to express, as well as how they might want to express it.” Read more
Art Education in Crisis
A collection of evidence-based reports which help map the changes to the art education (and wider arts) landscape over the past few years, and a collection of articles to help share solutions to the issues raised. Read more
Why We Need Artist Educators To Take Centre Stage
Many people think of AccessArt as being predominantly focused upon Primary education, but in reality, AccessArt represents and serves a far wider community. In this post, Paula Briggs, CEO & Creative Director of AccessArt shares why AccessArt believes artist educators are vital to helping us redefine, as a society, the role we need art to play in making all our lives better. Read more
Can Labour Show It Really Understands The Power Of The Arts To Transform Lives?
Paula Briggs, CEO & Creative Director of AccessArt asks is it brave of a government to acknowledge what art can do for us, or foolish to ignore it? Read more
The Current Education System: Too Much Beta, Not Enough Alpha
Paula Briggs, CEO & Creative Director of AccessArt explores how awareness of brain states could help us create a more balanced curriculum. Read more
The Language We Use Defines The Society We Create: Taking Control of the Narrative
Paula Briggs, CEO & Creative Director of AccessArt explores how the language we use to describe art education is vital in moving forward with strength and integrity. Read more
The Art & Design Curriculum & Oak National Academy
Paula Briggs, CEO & Creative Director of AccessArt shares AccessArt’s statement about Oak National Academy. Read more
Urgent Reform Needed in 11-16 Education
In December 2023 The Education for 11–16 Year Olds Committee published its report Requires improvement: urgent change for 11–16 education.
The report delves into the impact that a ‘knowledge rich’ approach has had on the educational system, which increased both curriculum content and exam-based testing. Read more
The AccessArt Primary Art Curriculum – Impact & Evidence Autumn 2023
In the summer of 2023 we invited users to complete a survey to feedback their experience of using our Primary Art Curriculum in their school. We would like to thank the 447 teachers who responded on behalf of their school.
We are pleased to share the results of the survey. Read more
The Art Now Report
The Art Now Inquiry commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design Education explores the current state of art and design education across the four nations. It was created in response to concerns about the reduction in opportunities for children and young people to access high quality art and design education across the primary and secondary phases of schooling. Read more
AccessArt Response to the Ofsted Curriculum Review in Art & Design
Paula Briggs and Trevor Horsewood from AccessArt attended the launch of the Ofsted Curriculum Review in Art & Design. Read more
Returning to Our Bodies - Poised between the Slip and the Grub
What does AI mean for visual arts education (and our wellbeing)? Paula Briggs explores… Read more
Thinking About Art Education? Think Again...
On the 22nd February 2023 the long awaited Curriculum Research Review into Art & Design will be published. Before that day, and before we all embark on a discussion about its pedological intricacies, I wanted to take the opportunity to do what AccessArt always tries to do, namely to help us “open up and out” our thinking about art education and how we might best enable a rich creative experience for all. Read more
What Does Success Look Like?
Why do we teach art? What do pupils get from making art? In this post, Paula Briggs challenges us to think more openly about how we monitor art in the classroom. Through making no assumptions about what art can offer us, we might be surprised by what we find… Read more
An Introduction into the New AccessArt Primary Art Curriculum
Find out what AccessArt’s new Primary Art Curriculum has to offer in this recorded Zoom Session – we discuss the aims of the curriculum and explain how the pathways can inspire your curriculum offering. Read more
AccessArt & 2023
As the days slowly lengthen, we can let ourselves feel a sense of opening outwards once again, and it is with that mindset that we’d like to share AccessArt’s aims and intents for 2023. Read more
Taking Stock: What a Game of Snakes and Ladders Made Me think About Art Education
How can we all learn from each other? Here’s what the snakes and ladders board made me think. Read more
