About dot-art Schools

dot-art Schools is an interactive, online, inter-school, art competition, taking place annually and culminating in a public exhibition of the winning artworks and prize giving celebration for teachers, students and their families. The competition is open to all Primary (Year 5) and Secondary (Year 9) and SEND schools in the six boroughs of Liverpool City Region. It is designed to nurture talent, raise aspiration and take art out of the classroom into the real world. Set up in 2012 in response to demand from local schools and the side-lining of the arts in the curriculum, to date over 16,000 children have taken part.

dot-art Schools celebrates and showcases visual arts
excellence in schools.

Download dot-art Schools leaflet

Why take part?

The positive impact of our programme on students’ mental health and well-being has been proven. Research carried out by Liverpool Hope University and Curious Minds showed that taking part in dot-art Schools nurtures children and young peoples’ creativity and boosts their confidence. We learnt that the students gain a measurable sense of self-respect from the process.  

Participating in the competition can also raise students’ aspirations and engage student’s families. We know that the pandemic has increased the disadvantage gap markedly; engaging with dot-art Schools helps build valuable cultural capital in students.

10 REASONS TO TAKE PART

Delivers Arts and Culture enrichment activity as part of the school’s enrichment entitlement offer, helping close the participation gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
Improve students’ confidence in their own ability and give a real sense of pride
Contributes to a broad and balanced curriculum which build pupils’ cultural capital
Increase pupil’s self-esteem, particularly important with the growing mental health crisis facing young people.
Help close the disadvantage or attainment gap.
Raise your school’s profile regionally and demonstrate the school’s commitment to arts and creativity
Fantastic opportunity to showcase students’ artwork outside school, demonstrating its quality to families and the wider community.
Great way to engage student’s families through the online public vote, exhibition and prize giving ceremony.
Compare standards of artwork with other schools across the region, online and in a gallery setting.
Support your Artsmark journey and meet Gatsby benchmarks, OFSTED and National Curriculum attainment targets

“The dot art schools programme has reached out to particularly deprived communities, in a manner that is not only inclusive but that has brought out the very best that these communities have to offer, resulting in, at primary level, schools in highly deprived areas being far more successful than their affluent peers. This is undoubtedly evidence that the cultural capital of these participants has been significantly increased.”

Liverpool Hope University, CERI Researcher

Boost student’s self esteem

“As our pupils are all SEN, I am very protective of them and was wary of submitting their work and having it judged against mainstream pupils, how wrong was I! I was beyond proud to see them able to compete and stand their own in this forum and will definitely ensure they participate every year.” 

Paula Morgan, Assistant Head Teacher, Crosby High School

Engage student’s families

“Well done Tayla from her proud mum. Thank you so much to Gateacre School and dot art for giving her the platform to express herself.”

Lisa Mairs, Parent

Nurture creative talent

“Cultural education programmes are so important in nurturing new artists that will become the next generation of artists that builds and progresses the country’s creative industries. The dot-art Schools competition is a fantastic platform for young people to showcase their work.”

Vikki Merriman, Arts Council England