Image of the Week is an arts project using works of art and the “JONK” philosophy of education to encourage critical thinking and build emotional wellbeing.
The project is a collaboration between the arts education charity, the Michael Aldrich Foundation which is aligned to the University of Brighton, and JONK Learning and Teaching Limited.
Originally conceived as a pilot project for two primary schools, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic led to the programme being redesigned for use online and subsequently made available to many more schools and also to other settings such as care homes and older people isolated at home.
The project, which uses work from the Foundation’s unique art collection and its network of artists and makers, was embraced enthusiastically despite the considerable uncertainty and pressures that schools and organisations faced during the enforced national lockdown. Working with their teachers, the project enabled the children to develop their creative and critical thinking skills. But it also created real moments of connection between the artists and the participants at a time when many were feeling isolated.
The project was presented at the International Festival of Learning in August 2020.
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