School Projects
The Barber works with a wide range of different educational settings. Be inspired by how artists, educators and students have used our collection as a catalyst for collaboration and creativity.
Barber-in-Residence | Fox Hollies Partnership 2025
In 2025 we undertook a residency at Fox Hollies Special School. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to accessibility in the arts and expanding creative opportunities for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) students.
While the Barber was closed for our building transformation project, our Learning and Engagement Team worked in an outreach capacity at Fox Hollies School, leading a nature-inspired arts project. In turn, Fox Hollies staff and students advised and mentored the Barber on SEND practices, supporting the continued development of our inclusive education programme.
This partnership was recently the recipient of a CAL SHINE award, recognising excellence and impactful contributions across the College of Arts and Law at the University of Birmingham. It was also awarded highly commended in the Power of Place: Midlands Museum Awards in the category of Bridge Builder Award.
We look forward to this continued partnership as we develop our 2026 –2027 residency.
Proud to be a Brummie | Paget Primary School
Students at Paget Primary School worked with the Barber and artist-educator Nilupa Yasmin on a four-week series of workshops under the title “Proud to be a Brummie”. Through discussion of a range of works from the collection and creative sessions around the process of collage-making, students investigated the question of “what is a portrait?”. By exploring, collecting and selecting images they gained a sense of the history of portraiture, explored the concept of identity and what it means to be a “Brummie”.
This project was supported by Birmingham Education Partnership (BEP) through Birmingham Arts School (BAS).
George Dixon Academy
The Barber partnered with George Dixon Academy to collaborate on an eight-week series of creative workshops that explored and critiqued the collection and themes of identity and portraiture. Students investigated the work of key artists in the collection such as Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Tess Jaray, and Joan Miro as well as work by contemporary British artist, Claudette Johnson. Students made their own portraits, reclaiming objects that hold personal meaning, as well as creating artwork to represent the gender gap and what this means to them. This culminated in a publication that captures the project’s creative outcomes. A visual journey that shows original artwork and responses.
This project was supported by Museum Development Midlands (MDM).
Lindsworth School
The Barber worked with students and staff at Lindsworth School, investigating how making art and being creative can promote positive mental health. Using key portraits from the collection, we explored how artists have addressed some of the issues linked to mental health and wellbeing. Students made work that examined the concepts of representation, relationships, and positive self-image.
