Anti-Racism in Art & Design Education
This round up is inspired by the NSEAD's Anti-Racist Art Education Checklist which helps educators to critically review their art, craft and design curriculums. The checklist's questions explore:
- Who is seen (practitioners)
- What is used (art, craft and design)
- How they are positioned (the advantages and disadvantages given to the work)
To support educators with this process, we have provided links to resources on Art UK and our partners' websites categorised under the main headings in the checklist.
Diversity and Belonging
Primary
Art UK – Painting the everyday: Sam Ntiro's paintings of life in Tanzania
This lesson plan resource explores Sam Ntiro's depictions of life in Tanzania and the everyday activities that people do together.
Art UK – Sculpture and belief: Ngāti Porou House Panels
What can we learn about Māori culture and belief from the carved panels made for Māori meeting houses? This resource focuses on the Ngāti Porou carved wooden panels in the collection of Perth Museum & Art Gallery.
Art UK – Superpower Portrait 4: The Tailor
This resource looks in-depth at Lubaina Himid's portrait, The Tailor. One of the suggested activities includes a comparison with a painting of circus performer Miss La La who was of dual heritage, while another activity explores racial stereotypes.
British Library – Windrush Stories creative writing activities
Creative writing ideas and activities that draw on the histories, people and objects featured on the British Library's Windrush Stories page.
National Army Museum – Walter Tull: A soldier's story
This video explores Walter Tull's experiences as an army officer during the First World War. Tull was a professional football who enlisted in the army in 1914 and later became one of Britain's first Black army officers.
National Portrait Gallery – Malala Yousafzai
A series of activity ideas focused on Nobel Prize winning activist Malala Yousafzai.
National Portrait Gallery – Looking at Portraits: Mary Seacole
A video resource exploring a portrait of legendary Black nurse Mary Seacole with various follow-on activities.
Secondary
Art UK – Explore the Windrush story through art
This resource uses artworks to explore the story of the people who came to Britain between 1948 and 1972 from the Caribbean. There is also a follow-on resource – Windrush 70 years on: the next generation.
Art UK – Painting mood and atmosphere: Henry Tayali
This resource takes an in-depth look at Zambian artist Henry Tayali's untitled painting of a busy café or bar.
Art UK – Halima Cassell and geometric pattern
This resource explores the work of British ceramicist Halima Cassell who was born in Pakistan and brought up in Lancashire. Her Asian roots influence her work, as well as Islamic design.
Art UK – Painting mood and atmosphere: Louis Mbughuni
This resource takes an in-depth look at The Fishermen, a painting by Tanzanian artist Louis Mbughuni.
BBC Teach – South Asian Heritage Month resources
South Asian Heritage Month first took place in 2020 and runs from 18th July to 17th August each year. This collection of teaching resources explores South Asian history, heritage, culture and achievements.
Bristol Museums – Helen Wilson Roe
Helen Wilson Roe, a professional Black artist from Bristol, talks to Bristol Museums Learning about how she became an artist and what drives her to be creative.
British Library – Caribbean Artists Movement (1966–1972)
Errol Lloyd, an artist and member of the Caribbean Artists Movement, explores the Movement's origins, work and legacies.
British Library – Windrush Stories creative writing activities
Creative writing ideas and activities that draw on the histories, people and objects featured on the British Library's Windrush Stories page.
National Portrait Gallery – 3D object: Harold Moody
This 3D digitisation of a bust by Jamaican sculptor Ronald Moody is of his brother, anti-racist campaigner Dr Harold Moody. You can also find activity ideas on the NPG website.
More Windrush resources
British Library – Windrush Voices audio
Terpsichore
(from the series 'Zabat')
1989
Maud Sulter (1960–2008)
Cultural Capital and Criticality
Primary
Art UK – The Superpower of Looking
Throughout several of the lessons in our Superpower of Looking resource, students are encouraged to make critical comparisons between canonical artworks and diverse contemporary artists and subjects, including Zanele Muholi in Superpower Portrait 1: The Armada Portrait and Kerry James Marshall in Superpower Everyday 3: Chairing the Member.
Tate – Kids think about art and race
Video resource featuring young people exploring Tate's 'Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power' exhibition.
Secondary
Art UK – Maud Salter and the subversive portrait
This resource explores the photographs of Scottish-Ghanaian artist Maud Sulter who subverted traditional representations of women in Western art in order to explore and highlight the histories of Black women and the Black diaspora in Europe.
Tate – The racial and identity politics of Head of a Man
This article considers and questions the intentions, politics and legacy of the landmark artwork by John Simpson.
National Galleries Scotland – Make and resist
This learning resource offers activities inspired by art and resistance. It considers how art can be a useful tool for understanding injustices, thinking about and making the changes we want to see in society.
Fons Americanus
(detail), 2019, Hyundai Commission at Tate Modern by Kara Walker (b.1969) 
Colonial Legacy
Primary
Art UK – Superpower Everyday 3: Chairing the Member
This resource includes a comparison activity which explores a painting by Kerry James Marshall and its reference to abolitionist Olaudah Equiano.
Art UK – Superpower Portrait 4: The Tailor
This resource looks in-depth at Lubaina Himid's portrait, The Tailor. It includes a film exploring the colonial legacy of West African textiles reflected in Himid's work.
Tate – Are there pirates in the Tate Modern? (Kara Walker)
A series of questions that can be used to explore Kara Walker's Fons Americanus in relation to Empire and enslavement.
The Horniman Museum – Afrikan-Caribbean Masquerade
The resource engages learners with the history and music of African-Caribbean masquerade, and the characters of Guyanese masquerade.
Secondary
British Library – Caribbean anti-colonial activists in Britain before World War Two
Hakim Adi introduces Pan-Africanism and some of the key figures and organisations that campaigned against colonialism and racism before the outbreak of World War Two.
British Library – Indenture to Windrush
Maria del Pilar Kaladeen explores the 'hidden history' of indenture and the lives of Caribbean people of Indian heritage who migrated to Britain in the Windrush era.
British Library – Waves of History
Explore the history of the Caribbean, the legacies of enslavement and colonialism, and how Caribbean society has been deeply shaped by rebellion, resistance and ideas of freedom.
National Galleries Scotland – Scotland and chattel slavery through the lens of art
This resource is inspired by the artwork Lessons of the Hour by Isaac Julien. His artwork is informed by research on chattel slavery, and in particular, the life of formerly enslaved anti-slavery activist and philosopher Frederick Douglass.
Context & Terminology
Primary
CBBC – How to you can help stop racism
Video resources from Blue Peter to contextualise and/or introduce a lesson focused on anti-racism.
Secondary
The Black Curriculum – How to speak to your young people about race
A blog post exploring how to speak with 11–16-year-olds about race.
Tate – The racial and identity politics of Head of a Man
This article considers and questions the intentions, politics and legacy of the landmark artwork by John Simpson.
Pumpkin
2018, acrylic on canvas by Yayoi Kusama (b.1929) 
Intersectionality
Primary
Art UK – Superpower Still Life 4: Pumpkin
This resource explores the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and how art can be used to support mental health and wellbeing.
Art UK – The Superpower of Looking with Ade Adepitan
In this film, Paralympian and broadcaster Ade Adepitan explores Van Gogh's Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear while reflecting on the power of looking and what that means as a wheelchair user in society.
Secondary
Tate – Donald Rodney: a practice unfolding
A video resource exploring how disabled Black artist Donald Rodney explores race and representation in his sketchbooks.
White Space
© Greg Bunbury. Photo credit: Black Outdoor Art 
Unconscious bias
BBC Teach – How to be a better ally to your students
This collection of short films explores how to be a better ally to students who are facing challenges because of their race, background or language skills.
BBC Teach – Supporting your students of East and South East Asian heritage
An article exploring how teachers can help support their students of East and South East Asian descent who may have experienced incidents of racism.
Further resources
The Black Nursery Manager – A Beginner's Guide to Anti-Racism (Tapestry)
Teaching Black British History (Future Learn / The Black Curriculum)
