Little Art School Charity Ethos and Team

For over a decade, the Little Art School has been building self-esteem through drawing. We have seen the incredible joy that drawing and painting can bring to people of all ages, from age 6 to 105. We teach in a way that puts nurturing and confidence-building at the heart of all our classes.

Our unique art courses have been designed to build self-esteem; to help our artists, whatever their age or skill set, relax and to encourage their creativity.

In our studio-based classes for children, whether these are our paid-for classes or our classes delivered free in the community, we strive to create a calm and gentle environment. As children get older, they become more self-critical and self-conscious. At the Little Art School, we don’t allow children to be highly critical of their work.

There are no “Mine’s Rubbish!!” utterances in class. At the end of each class, every child is encouraged to point out which part of their painting or drawing they are particularly pleased with. At the start of their time with us, some of the older children find this quite difficult, preferring to avoid ridicule by denigrating their work.

As the weeks go by, they understand that this is an environment where the ability to look for the positive is actively encouraged. They become much more able to search for what they like in their work, and they begin to see the painting in a different, infinitely more positive way.

By searching for their art’s positive aspects, their perception of the work transforms. We also encourage the children to praise the work of their classmates. For older children this can be difficult at first, the need to look ‘cool’ at the latter end of the time a primary school only intensifies in secondary school. Within two or three weeks, with gentle encouragement and a positive example, our pupils demonstrate kindness to each other, which is actively fostered. The teacher’s encouragement and positivity, backed up by their encouragement of each other and their ability to look at their work with joy, have given our pupils such a boost in confidence. It is what makes the Little Art School such a special place.

For our adult students, based across the UK and beyond, we are committed to building their self-confidence. Our Facebook Group forms a community which encourages every artist, from Lesson 1 to Lesson 180.

Learning to draw and paint is just like learning a musical instrument: you understand the basic techniques and then practise and build your skills. Our Little Art School art course progressively introduces new methods, constantly building skills. We encourage a mindset that accepts mistakes as stepping stones to development.

Our Online Course Community have all become cheerleaders for each other.

Our values run through the core of everything we are and everything we do, from our recruitment to training and delivery at every stage.

• I am kind and empathetic
• I focus on creating a nurturing and safe environment
• I use a kind and compassionate approach
• I am helping to grow the Little Art School
• I understand how my actions have an impact on the success of the business
• I plan and deliver to the ethos and standards of the business, and maximise resources and productivity
• I take responsibility for our Environmental Impact
• I recognise how my actions can benefit the environment and reduce wastage 
• I encourage those around me to adopt a responsible attitude to sustainability
• I recognise the importance of mental health and wellbeing
• I understand and respect the culture regarding the well-being of the business
• I actively support the team with regard to mental health and well-being.