Artis currently reaches 9,000 children weekly, in-person, across 50 primary schools in high-deprivation areas. Each school is supported by one of our talented creative learning specialists, delivering sessions that inspire joy, creativity, and confidence. 

Our in-person sessions have created meaningful moments for children, boosting their wellbeing, teamwork, communication skills, and academic achievement. These sessions are at the heart of what we do, and seeing children light up as they express themselves has always been our driving force. But as schools face growing challenges, we must evolve too in how we deliver creative education. 

The impact of the pandemic 

When the pandemic struck, we were forced to take our sessions online. Our specialists quickly adapted, filming their sessions from home and sharing them with schools and children. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, and it made us realise there was a real opportunity to expand and enhance the Artis experience beyond in-person in the classroom. 

This challenging time underscored the need for more flexible and scalable solutions, so we decided to develop a new digital home for Artis. This would allow us to reach more schools, particularly those in remote areas or with limited funding for arts education. 

But to do this effectively, we knew the content had to be high-quality and above all, true to the Artis experience. We partnered with Prelight Creative to create professional, distraction-free sessions that would allow children to focus fully on learning creatively. These curriculum-linked sessions are now available to all primary schools, with a wide range of topics and activities to choose from. 

Introducing our new digital home 

We’re thrilled to introduce the Artis creative streaming platform; a new way for children to experience the power of creative learning, no matter where they are. 

Our platform offers a library of sessions designed specifically for primary school learners, initially with six series tailored for ages 4–5 and another six for ages 5–7 (with more coming soon!). Each series consists of six weekly episodes, providing a consistent experience that supports early childhood development throughout a school year. 

Consistency is key for young learners; a weekly episode builds routine and deepens engagement and retention of information. It also helps teachers integrate content smoothly into their half-termly planning. 

The series cover a wide range of curriculum-linked topics, from dinosaurs and space to themes like ‘Good to be me’, which support wellbeing, and ‘Moving maths’, which encourages children to experience maths in new, active ways they’ve likely never encountered before. 

Each series also includes a ‘Teacher trailer’ to help teachers quickly understand its learning objectives and the specific benefits their children will gain from it, and a planning overview for their records and follow-on activities. Teachers can also enjoy a range of brain break style engaging classroom activities to try to re-energise or re–focus children. These activities involve movement, pair work, and exercises to stimulate concentration and imagination. 

Why have we started with early years?

We’re starting with content for children age 4-7, because it’s a crucial stage for lifelong learning and development, where children are most receptive to play-based, creative education. For schools, early years is a key priority, with strong evidence showing that high-quality early years education has a lasting impact on children’s attainment, progress, and social development. 

This also means children can grow with Artis – when a school adopts our programme, it can support learners through every stage of their school life, helping them reap the full benefits over time. 

Can active, participatory learning really happen online? 

You might assume that creative learning must be in-person to be effective. But the truth is, children are already learning and engaging through digital platforms every day. When designed with interaction and participation at its core, we know that online arts education can be just as impactful as in-person learning. 

One common assumption about screen-based learning is that it’s passive. But Artis sessions are different – streamed and specially designed to get children up on their feet: moving, acting, singing, and physically engaging, just as they would in a live session.

Artis is intentionally interactive. In fact, schools often tell us it feels as if the specialist is in the room, talking directly to the children. 

Going online isn’t about replacing in-person sessions; it’s about making creative learning more accessible, scalable, and sustainable for schools that might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience it. 

Want to experience Artis at your school, and feel the ripples of creativity? Head over to the platform where you can access a free trial, followed by 50% early adopters discount. All for just 12p per learner per week.