Branching off from STEM: Reshaping Arts-Integrated Education One STEAM Workshop at a Time.
The MoSAIC logo with and AI generated background representing the divide between the arts and the sciences being bridged.
Reading age: 12-13 years
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Intended audience: Educators
Author: Gareth Campbell
For years, schools have pushed STEM degrees and careers as if life were a narrow corridor lined with just a few prestigious doors. Now, that corridor is widening. The transferable STEAM skills reveal vibrant opportunities where creativity meets logic. The shift from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to STEAM, where the ‘A’ represents the arts, signals a revolutionary moment in education.
In school, I believed that if I couldn’t perfectly capture the world on paper, I would never be an artist. But working as an interdisciplinary artist now, I’ve come to understand that art isn’t something that passively hangs on the wall, it facilitates change. It’s a force, reshaping how we think, communicate and approach the most complex challenges. The arts and sciences, once seen as separate realms, are becoming weaved together.
The MoSAIC’s inaugural year focused on The Art of Astrophysics, showing over 4,000 students and educators how science makes abstract concepts concrete, while the arts takes those concrete ideas and abstracts them, opening doors to interpretation. This isn’t just about painting, drawing or poetry writing; it’s about a new way of thinking, a mindset. Too often, artworks gets dismissed with the phrase, "I could’ve done that." But the truth is, art exists in the space between the creator’s vision and the viewer’s imagination. It’s not just the physical output, but the thought processes. We can use the arts to spark curiosity, formulate questions and start conversations.
Gallery mock up of 'Study for: The Einstein Crucifix' by Gaz Lawrence, part of The Art of Astrophysics series. Acrylic paint and India Ink on paper (2023).
In today’s fast-paced world, where AI whispers in the background and the answers to life’s closed questions live in our pockets, knowledge alone is no longer enough. We need skills that extend beyond memorising facts, skills that come from creativity. Like old friends reuniting, creativity should now walk alongside science in secondary school classrooms, shaping a future where both can thrive. At The MoSAIC, we’re working towards leading this change in the UK, through virtual exhibitions and hands-on learning experiences where the arts are fully integrated.
The inclusion of the arts in education isn’t a passing craze, to quote the great philosopher Pumba. It is essential. In the rapidly shifting tides of the 21st century, creativity is a survival skill.
Think of problem-solving as a puzzle. STEM might teach you to fit the pieces together, but the Arts show you how to twist and turn them, how to see beyond what’s in front of you and imagine new possibilities. In our Monochrome: The Physics of Colour workshop, inspired by artist Olafur Eliasson, we illustrate how just one wavelength of light can illuminate the mysteries of how colour works, using art to inspire awe and curiosity in physics and looping full circle to allow young people to think of art production in a new light. Although this workshop is co-curricular it focusses on problem solving skills rather than knowledge.
The arts don’t just nurture creativity, they also foster emotional intelligence. As the world increasingly values collaboration, empathy, and communication, the arts equip students with the tools to navigate complex human dynamics. Through our STEAM activities, students begin to chip away at the barriers that divide us, learning how to lead with empathy and build deeper connections.
Picture a group of students working on a robotics project. In a traditional STEM environment, they might focus solely on the mechanics, the gears and circuits. But in a STEAM classroom, they ask, "How can this robot not only function, but bring joy to its user?" They learn to work collaboratively to weave form with function, creating solutions that serve human needs. Consider the Dyson vacuum, designed so that everything you need to touch to operate it is coloured red. That’s STEAM at work: intuitive, user-centered design engineering that allows a new device to be operated without even reading the instruction manual.
STEAM is a way to connect theory to practice. It’s the bridge between building a product that works and creating one that people love. STEAM learning encourages students to create not just for efficiency, but with empathy and imagination.
Governments worldwide are starting to realise the value of this approach, pivoting their policies to embrace careers that blend critical thinking with creativity. The future is unknown, but it’s brimming with possibility. STEAM education and arts integration urges students to step into that future with curiosity, ready to adapt, ready to innovate.
As industries evolve, STEAM offers a roadmap to success. Today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders won’t just be proficient in their fields. They’ll be adaptable, emotionally intelligent, and innovative. STEAM learning is forging a world where education doesn’t limit us, it liberates us.
In this new era, where machines may handle many tasks, creativity and emotional intelligence remain irreplaceably human. By blending these traits with technical skills, STEAM is shaping a generation of thinkers and dreamers, ready not just to keep up with the world, but to shape it into something extraordinary.
Join The MoSAIC on this journey to take STEAM learning to the next level. It’s a paradigm shift, a bridge to a future where the arts and sciences work together.
About the author:
Gareth, a.k.a Gaz Lawrence, is MoSAIC’s founder. Gareth is a former science teacher and now works as an interdisciplinary artist and STEAM educator.
Gareth is currently reading: ‘Your Brain on Art’ by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross
The MoSAIC is offers a range on STEAM workshops on Astrophysics, Colour Theory and Generative AI to show students and educators how creativity and other STEAM skills are necessary for the sciences and STEM subjects. Explore here.