Learning through Contemporary Arab Arts

A free resource kit for teachers

Learning through Contemporary Arab Arts is a practical resource for schools wishing to diversify their curriculum with global perspectives

It uses the arts and artistic practice from the Arabic-speaking world to capture hearts and imaginations in ways that allows you and your students to acquire skills around language whilst also exploring some of the most urgent questions of our times in deeply-considered, multidimensional ways. To do so from the perspectives of arts and cultures of the Arabic-speaking world adds a much-needed layer of weaving in worldviews from the Global Majority World.

We hope that this resource will enrich the pedagogical tools available to the teachers who delve into it, and enliven their classrooms with exciting debate and conversation. The lesson plans provided range from tried and tested methodologies for language and knowledge acquisition, to critical thinking frameworks that challenge students and their teachers to practise constructive questioning.

Ultimately, this resource uses Arab arts as a portal to explore themes that connect us all as humans – be it the languages with which we communicate and what we can do to communicate better, what assumptions we make about one another and how we can challenge ourselves to break through conscious and unconscious biases, as well as how we can achieve higher level learning, thinking and being in this world.

How to use the resource

While the resource is targeted at Key Stage 3 and focuses on the subjects of Modern Foreign Languages (Arabic), PSHE and Art, it can be used as a springboard for any teacher looking for fresh approaches to inspire students and enliven classroom practice. It offers two lesson plans per subject, broadly aligned with requirements of the National Curriculum, to allow for deeper exploration that extends beyond a single session.

Each of the lesson plans has a dual aspect: an instructional element with a ready-made power point presentation and discussion points, and an interactive element inviting students to engage with the topic through the medium of the arts.

The material was tried and tested in Key Stage 3 classrooms in UK schools across the three subjects. We hope that you and your students enjoy the results!

Developed by Shubbak Festival
Contributors: Aya Haidar, Luma Hameed
Generously funded by: Qatar Foundation International