Alicia-Isabel Delacruz Corral

Over the last twenty years I have been responsible for introducing OCR’S Graphic Design Communication as an Art discipline within my school’s Art & Design KS4-5 curriculum. Not only are our students encouraged to explore the possibilities of animation, illustration, typography, video, promotional design, and branding applied to commercial design, but they are also actively encouraged to reflect, question and explore the possibilities of Graphic Communication as a Visual Arts form. I am currently diversifying into promoting “Design with a Conscience” as a subject extension that enables more critically able students to explore how Art & Design can make a positive influence in the world. As a result, students are encouraged to tap into their personal areas of interest to develop work that questions and tackles issues meaningful to them, such as identity, the environment, materialism & inequality, amongst other topics. The focus of study I chose, as part of my Specialist Teacher development in 2019 was the development of distance & virtual learning material to support & enhance the delivery of the Art curriculum. I was most privileged to put this study into practice by developing 24 Art & Design lessons for Oak National Academy as part of the Sprint Teachers Government COVID support summer 2020 Programme. My experience delivering high quality teaching materials and engaging lessons is backed up by my academic results, my breadth of life experience as well as personal interests.