Celebrating Creative Journeys | Art in the Community

It always counts to make the front page and the lead teacher feature in the first edition of the 'My AQA' termly newsletter is a powerful shout out about the Arts in the community.

In "Legacy, community and creative journeys" Sam Eyre shares his vision for how Art projects can help communities to hear young people’s voices. 

Head of CREATE at Coombeshead Academy, Sam is also the Lead for the SWIFT Art and Design Professional Community and Art Lead for SWIFT Teacher Training. Well-known in teaching circles for his passionate, inclusive and hands-on approach to teaching the Arts, you might recall meeting Sam as our May UPDATE interviewee (you can read his uplifting interview again here).  

The article follows the successful South West Art Teachers Conference in the summer and showcases a collective voice in working to ensure that the Arts are impactful across communities beyond the classroom.   

"Through SWIFT, our PGCE programme, and projects like CODEX, we are building a professional community that is resilient, innovative, and united. Our vision is to support teachers at every stage of their career, strengthen subject knowledge, and advocate for the value of the arts in young people’s lives." ​​

This year's conference at the Phoenix Arts Centre in Exeter was bigger than ever, opened by visual artist, David Shrigley with panache and purpose. David reminded the audience how teaching Art "is not only about technique or curriculum – it is about nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and courage."

Through workshops, delegates shared ideas, challenges, and successes across their own Schools and Trusts, and counties. Inspiring Art Leads, including Sara Elston (WEST Trust) and Renata Fry (Ted Wragg Trust), shared their stories about how to sustain passion and purpose in their careers, and the transformative impact of working with artists in schools.

One of the most personal and powerful parts of the day for Sam was sharing the CODEX Project: a collaboration between Sidmouth School of Art, Sidmouth College, artist Emma Molony and Sam himself. This marked a moving return to Sam's roots to his old school where Emma’s mother, Liz, was his Art Teacher.

"To go back, not as a student, but as an artist and teacher, and to work with the next generation of young creatives was incredibly moving."

This conference was a new chapter, built on a strong foundation over the past decade by Sam and Tim Wightman as co-lead of the Devon Art Teachers’ Conference, continuing the legacy of Phil Creek and Chris Wightman (Tim’s father).

Inspired by their vision of "a connected, collaborative community of art educators," this year they took that vision a step further and expanded the reach across the South West, bringing together educators from all phases, settings, and provisions - from Early Career Teachers to experienced Subject Leads.

"The day was a celebration of teaching as an art form in itself, and a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to the future of art and design education."

We thank Sam for his engaging enthusiasm for the Arts and for all that he does to support creative journeys in the classroom and the community. 
Report by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant

Be part of the Arts Journey
If you live in the South West and want to get involved in this growing network of Art Teachers, or learn more about CODEX and future events, we encourage you to contact Sam Eyre.

Watch out for details of the 2026 Summer Art Conference.

contact Sam eyre

read the article in My AQA here

find SWIFT Art CPD here