It’s time to take another dive into what makes a classroom subject tick, and this time around we’re going for art. In a slight twist to the usual format, we’ve paired a discussion with a subject specialist with an excellent example of how professional enquiry coupled with top-notch subject knowledge can lead to meaningful impact on pupils. 

We’re joined by Daisy Wilson from our friends at Yr Athrofa, an ITE partnership at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, to discuss what art is all about as a subject, what it’s for, and where its red lines, myths and misconceptions lie.

After that, Jack Siddall, who has just graduated from our own PGCE Secondary Art & Design programme, joins us to discuss what happened when he decided to spend some time to develop an art curriculum bringing his pupils into contact with artists whose lived experiences they could identify with. Jack’s ability to avoid heavy-handed tokenism while using his in-depth knowledge of the subject to engage pupils had profound impacts on the pupils he taught, as you’ll hear in this episode. 

Thanks to Daisy and Jack for joining us, and we’ll be back in two weeks’ time. 

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Recorded in studio D0.18 on 28th November 2024 (Daisy Wilson discussion) and in studio B2.15 on 20th June 2025 (Rest of episode) at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Cyncoed Campus.