Welcome to

Cotswolds Arts Through Schools

Cotswolds Arts Through Schools (“CATS” for short) is a charity delivering art, music, drama and dance experiences into state schools in the Cotswolds.

Our programme enriches Arts education by placing professional artists, musicians, actors, dancers and resources in schools.

Why?

Not only is art, drama and music disappearing from children’s school timetables, but post-Covid, many children are experiencing mental health issues and schools report increased absenteeism. Many young people only take part in cultural learning activities such as music and theatre during school hours, but funding and skills cuts have significantly reduced these opportunities.

In the same way that we teach children literacy and numeracy to prepare them for adult life, we must also give them the confidence to experiment creatively and explore. For some, creativity will be the foundation of a career; for others, it will be a vital tool to solve challenges they will face tomorrow. For many, it will simply be a source of joy, comfort, and companionship throughout their lives.

What does “CATS” do?

We provide art materials and musical instruments, we work with professional artists and musicians to deliver arts workshops, provide teacher training, we organise visiting artists & musicians to inspire and excite young minds.

Administered by the Stockwell Charitable Trust we work in partnership with local arts organisations all focused on developing the teaching of arts within local state schools and the local community.

Find out more

Newsflash

We are delighted to announce our Autumn ’24 funding campaign was successful! We are so grateful to all our supporters for helping us raise over £90,000. We could not achieve what we are doing without your support! Thank you!

  • Timmy took part in creating a sculpture shown in 2023 SAKL show. He came with the school before the show and then brought his parents to see his work during the show. Greeted at the door he was asked if he had helped make a sculpture – a timid nod. Which school – Kingham. What had he made – a bee. He was then greeted as an artist, hand shaken, told what an honour it was to meet an exhibiting artist. Timmy grew inches and beamed. For the next two weeks he was telling parents daily he was an artist! In all the exhibiting schools, teachers are reporting the enthusiasm and excitement art now generates having seen their work at a professional show.

    Timmy

    Kingham School

  • A young teacher said she could not cope with the new intake of 4/5 year old children post-pandemic. An experienced teacher was assigned. She said the children were feral – bit, kicked, jumped on desks, could not verbalise and were anti-social. This was the result of lock-downs and no nursery schools. For the first few weeks she used the materials in the art cupboard filled by SAKL to do art. The children could express their feelings on paper, started to chat, could sit and work together. She said it was art that made everything possible.

    School Teacher

  • Johnny had not wanted to go to school post-pandemic. He was nervous and anxious. The one day of the week he has started to come is the day that starts with drama, which he loves. He then stays for the whole day’s lessons.

    Johnny

  • The first two weeks of art club have gone really well. The kids love it! They don’t want to leave. In fact, we got told off by the Head yesterday for over running by 5 mins and they all did a big ohhhwww at the end!

    Emma Cox

    Artist

  • The resources arrived after a couple of weeks and are now being used and appreciated.

    Gill Bray

    Art lead at St Mary's, Chipping Norton

  • The children in KS1 had a wonderful time during their charcoal workshop today. They were all engaged and produced wonderful work.

    Lucy Thomas

    Art lead for Cold Aston, on the whole school workshop

  • I had a truly wonderful day on Tuesday and not only learnt a lot but also thoroughly enjoyed myself!

    Michelle Hastings

    Head of Great Rollright, following a teacher training day with Kingham Hill School

  • …the child who told his teacher that he did not want to come, that pottery is not his thing, and then proceeded to be SO enthralled by the whole experience.

    Robyn Bissett

    Community Learning Coordinator at Chipping Norton School on a highlight for her

  • I loved using the charcoal without reproachful adults worrying about our cleaness(sic)!

    A participating child

  • It's fantastic! The children love art and music and it makes such a difference. On those days that is all that’s talked about after school and those are what she really wants to do, quite the best days of the week. Its great for her self-confidence, and makes her so enthusiastic.

    Parent

  • If you’re gonna make connections which are innovative... you can’t have the same bag of experiences as everyone else.

    Steve Jobs

  • If today’s children are to have jobs, they must be as unlike a machine as possible: creative, critical and original.

    ITZA Inspire (learning provider)

  • Whether its problem-solving and deciphering complex patterns in music, improving speech and presentation skills in drama, or thinking outside the box in art, there are countless ways that creative subjects can make you a better mathematician.

    Bobby Seagull, TV mathematician

  • The opportunity for young people to express themselves imaginatively and creatively, and in their own way, is one of the greatest opportunities you can give them.

    Sir Steve McQueen (director of Oscar winning 12 Years a Slave)

  • "It is only by introducing the young to great literature, great drama, great music, great art, and the excitement of great science that we open to them the possibilities that lie within the human spirit and beyond the realms of the everyday, that we enable them to see visions and dream dreams."

    Eric Anderson (former headmaster of Fettes, Abingdon and Eton)

  • "If you think you're too small to make a difference then you've never spent the night with a mosquito"

    African proverb