What’s it all about?
Get Arty! is about getting school children of any ability involved in fun art activities – inspiring and educating them through the joy of creativity.
It's also about helping to raise vital funds to make a real and lasting difference to the lives of people with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
, their families and carers.
This new project, developed with AccessArt, experts in art
education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
, has a simple aim: to get children enthused about art and more accepting of "difference" – and in particular, learning disability – inside and outside of the classroom.
Why we’re ‘Getting Arty!’
Everyone is unique in their own special way: whether it be through their likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, appearance or personality. These are the things that make us who we are.
Children can sometimes find it difficult to understand these differences and we believe that Get Arty! will help break down barriers and teach children important
values
Values are the things that are important to you. Mencap's values are being passionate, inclusive, brave, positive, and kind.
that will encourage their acceptance of others.
Get Arty! offers an opportunity to help children aged 5-11 better understand what a learning disability is and how it may affect someone.
All we ask is pupils please donate £1 each to Mencap to take part in Get Arty! so we can help support even more people with a learning disability.
How to take part
It's easy to take part - just register with us and you'll receive a free Get Arty! pack, which includes:
- art activities that are fun and easy to deliver
- lesson/assembly plans that you can adapt to your school’s needs
- resources to teach children about learning disability – including a PowerPoint presentation
- various other creative and fundraising ideas that can be delivered in your school
Alternatively, you can phone us on 020 7696 6946 to let us know that you'd like to take part and we'll send a pack to you by post.
Get Arty! can be delivered as a whole school day, in an assembly, or individual teachers can run it in classes or in art club. It’s very flexible – Get Arty! can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be.
What you'll receive
Once you've signed up for the Get Arty! pack you'll receive loads of excellent resources including lesson and assembly plans, posters, stickers and activity packs.
The pack will include 3 fantastic activity packs, created by AccessArt, which cover how to make a number of creations which we think pupils will enjoy.
Take a look at the first activity guide below, which shows how to make finger puppets:
Take a peek at the first Get Arty! activity
This pack is for activity number 1 - finger puppets.
It sets out all the stages of the activity, including learning outcomes and links to the curriculum.
Complete our sign up form to receive the rest of activity packs and more Get Arty! resources.
Get your Get Arty! wristband
Show your class or even your whole school's support for Mencap by requesting our new Get Arty! 'celebrating difference' wristbands.
Collect £2 from your classmates for each wristband worn and put this money towards your fundraising total for Get Arty!
Email us at community.fundraising@mencap.org.uk and let us know how many wristbands you'd like and we'll send them to you along with a fundraising kit.
How you'll be making a difference
By taking part in Get Arty!, your school can help Mencap change the world. Help us raise awareness of learning disability and funds for a fairer and more equal society.
Although we only ask for £1 from each pupil, the more money your school raises, the more Mencap can do to make a real and lasting difference to the lives of people with a learning disability, their families and carers.
There will be lots of cool fundraising ideas in the Get Arty! pack, or alternatively, visit our Schools fundraising page on our main
website
A website is a page you can go to on the internet like Google or YouTube.
for more information.
How to pay in any money you raise
There are a number of simple ways for you to send any money you raise through Get Arty! to Mencap:
- Send a cheque made payable to:
Mencap Fundraising Department
Mencap National Centre
123 Golden Lane
London
EC1Y 0RT - Use our online paying-in form.
- Make a direct payment - contact us for our bank details by emailing community.fundraising@mencap.org.uk or phoning 020 7696 6946.
- You can also fundraise for Mencap by setting up a Virgin Money Giving page.
About AccessArt
AccessArt facilitates high quality visual arts workshops and events to a wide audience and shares the outcomes in an evolving collection of high quality, inspirational teaching and learning resources.
AccessArt helped shape the Get Arty! concept and developed the art activities that you will find in the Get Arty! pack.
Visit www.accessart.org.uk, for more information.
Get Arty! in action
Take a look at how some Year 3 pupils at Lamberhurst Primary School in Kent got in when taking part in Mencap's Get Arty! project.