New
New
Selecting work and considering the audience
I can select and present my work so it connects to my theme and engages the audience.
Lesson 3 of 8
New
New
- Year 11
Selecting work and considering the audience
I can select and present my work so it connects to my theme and engages the audience.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Every artwork in an exhibition must reinforce the central theme or concept.
- The best selections engage the audience and communicate something meaningful.
- A strong exhibition feels unified because each piece complements the others.
Keywords
Context - the ideas, theme, and background behind the artwork
Cohesive - when parts go well together well to make a clear, connected whole
Common misconception
The most technically perfect pieces should always be selected for exhibitions.
An exhibition’s power lies in how the works connect thematically, emotionally, and conceptually, not only in technical skill.
Encourage pupils to be ruthless but reflective; sometimes their personal favourite isn’t the best fit for the exhibition. Encourage pupils to explain their curatorial choices.
Teacher tip
Equipment
A range of pupils' work to selct from, pens, pencils, paper, or they could make notes in their sketch books.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the word context mean when talking about an artwork?
What does the word context mean when talking about an artwork?
The materials used to make the artwork
The personal taste of the curator
The colours used in the artwork
Q2.True or false? All artworks in an exhibition must look exactly the same to create coherence.
True or false? All artworks in an exhibition must look exactly the same to create coherence.
true
Q3.Which of these best describes “audience impact”?
Which of these best describes “audience impact”?
The grade the examiner gives the student
The number of people who attend the exhibition
The way an artist makes their artwork in the studio
Q4.Why might a curator consider the audience when selecting artworks?
Why might a curator consider the audience when selecting artworks?
To only choose artworks the curator personally likes
To avoid including artworks from different artists
To reduce the amount of work needed
Q5.Match the key word to the correct definition:
Match the key word to the correct definition:
Q6.Match the exhibition example with its method of creating cohesion:
Match the exhibition example with its method of creating cohesion:
