The Sketchbooks in Schools Digital Conversation Space is primed to become one of the most innovative teaching and learning resources designed to promote, inspire and enable creative thought and action in schools.

Directed by award-winning AccessArt (www.accessart.org.uk), Sketchbooks in Schools is an exciting project which brings together a wide range of stakeholders, teachers and practitioners to explore how we can embed the creative use of sketchbooks in primary schools, in a sustained and whole school approach. Sketchbooks can increase creative and critical thinking skills, and help build pupils ownership of their own learning and motivation - outcomes which can impact across the whole school and beyond.

The Sketchbooks in Schools Digital Conversation Space has been launched and content will be created throughout 2009. The space is a unique mixture of research, dialogue, practice and evidence. Fundamentally the Sketchbooks project is a practical project - schools will have access to teaching and learning modules which will enable then to use sketchbooks in their school, - but the site puts that teaching in a context and enables a sharing of experience via online brainstorms, forums, galleries and feedback. The co-creation model which openly invites all practitioners to contribute and get involved, while at the same time being moderated and directed by AccessArt, will create a groundbreaking resource which connects pupils and teachers firmly to the adult creative world. The model will be tested by working alongside five partner primary schools in England.

Visit the site at www.accessart.org.uk/sketchbook

Over the next few weeks AccessArt will be issuing calls for submissions/contributions. If you'd like to be kept up to date, please join in and register at the site, or subscribe by email to receive email updates when comments are added.

The project has been funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s New Approaches to Learning Strand, which aims to research, test and evaluate new approaches to teaching and learning that address current and future challenges in early years settings and state schools for children and young people aged 0-18, particularly interested in developing models of effective practice that are of national significance.