Art and design at KS3 and KS4
Artists have been continually inspired by the British Museum’s
collection, from Henry Moore in the twentieth century to George
Nuku (Maori Artist in Residence 2006) today. Inspire
your students using objects from the British Museum’s
unsurpassed world collection.
New guides for teachers
A new set of guides designed to help
teachers access the richness of the objects in the Museum’s
collection for teaching Art and Design. The guides can be used
to support a visit or in the classroom with our online
collection.
Containers
Fundamental to our survival, containers of all
shapes and sizes are used in every area of life.
Download: pdf (495kb)
Symbols
People across the world use symbols as
protection, to impose power, assert position, or represent their
identity.
Download: pdf (219kb)
Celebration
Often accompanied by music, costume, fire,
food and drink, processions and dancing, celebrations are lively
active occasions involving all the senses.
Download: pdf (275kb)
Sculpture
Sculpture has been produced by many cultures
for numerous reasons, from the idealised human forms of the Greeks,
to Assyrian palace reliefs.
Download: pdf (211kb)
Textiles
Textiles are flexible and can be remade, which
has enabled them to be used across the world for a multitude of
purposes.
Download: pdf
(319kb)
Resources for visits
Native north America
Art and design guide: explore pottery, ceramics, textiles,
costume, totem poles and contemporary arts.
Order this free resource
What is African art?
Essays for art historians discussing the range of artwork
created in Africa, its historical and cultural context and what it
means to the west.
Download: pdf
(97kb)
Classroom resources
Presentations
Easy to use, self-contained slideshows to download.
Understanding masks from
Africa
This slideshow puts African masks and masquerade into context as
crucial parts of larger festivals involving music, dance and
celebration.
Download: presentation ppt
(1392kb)
support notes pdf
(45kb)
Online resources
Explore
A useful research tool for teachers. Download high quality
images and find detailed information about particular objects in
the museum.
Online tours
Taking students on self-contained journeys through areas of the
collections. With support notes for teachers.
Some very unusual objects have been used as containers through
the ages.
Meet some slippery customers in our fish tour.
Follow some vibrant traditional Bengaliese stories on paintings
and textiles.
Masks for the living, masks for the dead, masks for
entertainment and ritual, and a mask that was never meant to be
worn at all....
Other useful websites
A4- Association for Advice and support
in Art and Design
Further information
Previous exhibitions - teachers' packs
Power and Taboo: sacred objects from the Pacific
Discover the cultural
traditions of the Polynesians: from how chiefs, warriors and
priests expressed control, to the rituals used to control the
dangerous power of their gods. Includes ideas for
projects.
Download: Word
(4.9Mb) pdf
(1Mb)
Michelangelo
An introduction to the work, life and times of the
great artist, covering his early years in Florence, his patronage
by the Medici, his masterpieces, his work as an architect and
private life and faith.
Download: pdf
(755Kb)
Useful books
L. Garner, African
Crafts (London, The British Museum Press, 2004)
Designs Series (The British Museum Press) - a
series of books about design in different cultures including
Islamic Designs, Pacific Designs, Ancient Egypt Designs and many
others.
Fabric Folio Series (The
British Museum Press) - a new series of books looking at fabrics
from different cultures, including Silk in Africa, Textiles from
Guatemala and Embroidery from India and Pakistan.
H. Moore, Henry Moore at the British Museum
(London, The British Museum Press, 1981)
These books can be purchased at the Museum shop, online or at
any bookshop.
Teachers receive a 10% discount* when they quote teacher0809 in
Museum shops. To redeem your discount online visit http://www.britishmuseumshoponline.org/icat/shoponline
and enter teacher0809 on checkout.
*Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other
offers.