We at Art UK believe that visual literacy – the ability to decode images – is a critical skill, almost as important to children as reading, writing and maths. It is so vital, in fact, that from Monday 30th September 2024 we will dedicate an entire week to delivering insights, encouraging discussion and helping everyone learn why visual literacy is so important.

However, we are not only talking about visual literacy. Through our initiative The Superpower of Looking, Art UK's ambition is to support every school child to be visually literate by 2030, creating confident, capable and empathetic young people.

From advertisements and social media to art and instructional materials, images play a significant role in how we communicate, learn and understand the world around us. Therefore, the ability to interpret these visuals – known as visual literacy – is an essential skill that will be critical both in today's society and in the future.

Through a series of articles, webinars and a Visual Literacy Symposium, we hope that Art UK's global audience of over five million users will take the opportunity to find out why we should all develop our skills of close looking. In particular, we believe that art can be a valuable pathway to becoming visually literate in our digital age. For this reason, our learning programmes – led by The Superpower of Looking – support children to hone essential skills so they can develop critical thinking, effective communication and cultural understanding.

Our Visual Literacy Week is supported by artists including Bob & Roberta Smith, our wonderful 2024 Patron, as well as the Singh Twins, Rana Begum and Sarah Graham. We are particularly pleased to be delivering webinars and workshops throughout the week in partnership with organisations including the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD), Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Autograph.

Art UK's Visual Literacy Week comes at a time when arts education is under the spotlight, with a recent report from the Fabian Society, Arts for Us All, proposing measures including the teaching of visual literacy skills.

Over the last few years, Art UK has developed the award-winning learning programme The Superpower of Looking, generously funded by Freelands Foundation, which uses artworks to teach primary school pupils how to decode meaning in images. Despite only launching nationally last year, it is now embedded in some 2,000 primary schools (almost 10% of the total).

Alison Cole is the director of the arts and creative industries policy unit at the Fabian Society and originator of The Superpower of Looking concept. She says: 'The arts are not an optional extra – they are essential. Visual literacy equips children to critically analyse and communicate visual information, helping them navigate an increasingly complex media landscape. Integrating it into the curriculum will not only enhance oracy but also improve life chances for young people.'

Artists The Singh Twins are known for their detailed, narrative style that explores diverse themes around heritage, identity, politics and society. Their terrific artwork Lesmahagow Durbar (6 of 6 from 'The Iqbalnama' series) is the subject of one of The Superpower of Looking lesson resources.

Lesmahagow Durbar (6 of 6 from 'The Iqbalnama' series)

Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh say: 'Visual Literacy is about recognising that art is a language in its own right, with the power to express and to communicate on many different levels. It's about developing the skills to not just look at art, but to read it from multiple perspectives and beyond the surface. This enables us to better understand our past, the world today, the communities we live in, and our relationship with them.'

During Visual Literacy Week, teachers can undertake training sessions in how to use the free resources from The Superpower of Looking. They can also take part in an online school trip, the Art Adventure, in which artist Sarah Graham will unite hundreds of classrooms across the UK and take them on a virtual visit to two art galleries to develop their Superpower skills.

Sarah Graham, 2024's virtual visit presenter

Teachers and our broader audience will also be able to read a range of articles including Liz Rideal's insight into how artists have used bridges as compositional anchors, Nicholas Dunn-McAfee's deep dive into Rossetti's La ghirlandata and Susan Ogier's introduction to the art of noticing.

Other events include a free online event for secondary school teachers – 'Seeing differently: learning together through photography' – with Autograph, as well as an exploration of visual literacy with Susan Coles, Vice President of the International Society for Education through Art (INSEA). An in-person event will take place at Drop City Books in Stoke-on-Trent on 5th October, exploring photography's role in questioning racial and social injustice.

I am particularly looking forward to a special webinar with American lawyer and art historian Amy Herman, and seeing how this New Yorker's passion for visual literacy goes down in the UK. Through her impressive programmes, she has helped improve the critical observation skills of Navy Seals, medics and the CIA to name just a few! If you would like to attend the webinar, email magda.lackowska@artuk.org

I do hope I have whetted your appetite for what is to come during our first Visual Literacy Week. We would love you to join this important conversation and, if you can, spread the word. You can find all the resources and stories here. Lastly, thanks to all my brilliant colleagues who have made this possible.

Andy Ellis, Chief Executive of Art UK