The document summarizes a pilot project called ArtRun carried out in Denmark that partnered two high school classes with a local art museum. The goals were to enhance students' understanding of entrepreneurship, cooperation, and the influence of art. Students learned about modern art and planned activities for an annual community run event. They created an interactive concept called "Eye C U" where they greeted runners with large painted eyes. The project gave students experience developing ideas and improved their entrepreneurial skills and confidence in working on unknown projects. Teachers and mentors saw benefits for both students and the partner organizations.

1. CENTRES
CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which
may be made of the information contained therein.
www.centres-eu.org
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union
Art Run, August – September 2013 Ishøj, Denmark
1. Context
The pilot activity is based in the curriculum for Danish and in the obligatory free project
assignment that all pupils in 9th
class in Denmark have to do. The activity enhances the pupils’
understanding of entrepreneurship and underlines the importance of cooperation and group
work. The activity was carried out and planned together with a local art museum.
2. Approach
The core of the activity was to work with the influence of art in people’s daily life. The pupils
should learn about modern art and plan activities for the local community and at the same time
investigate the possibilities for modern art to function outside of the museums. The aim of the
ArtRun was to bring art/culture and people together and in the pupils’ case also add a learning
perspective.
3. Rationale
ArtRun was an obvious activity for CENTRES. The pilot can give knowledge about the field of
schools working together with a cultural institution.
4. Pilot Description
As a result of an enquiry in FFE-YE’s network of schools the ArtRun project was chosen to
take part as a CENTRES pilot activity. The two classes and “Arken” – museum of modern art
had already outlined a partnership and CENTRES added pedagogical value to the project in
terms of entrepreneurship.
The pilot had two central parts: the local event called ArtRun and the free project assignment
for the pupils. ArtRun is an annual event in the local community where people are invited to
take part in a 5 km run. During the route the runners will experience various art-events: local
bands playing, sculptures on exhibit or, as in our case, school classes pushing modern art into
the landscape.
The project was kicked off by a day of creativity and innovation. Project manager Peter
Rasmussen from FFE-YE instructed the pupils on how to develop ideas and to get an
innovative approach in the planning of the event for ArtRun. In the following week the two
classes spend three days at the museum learning about and experiencing modern art before
they began the actual planning of the event for the ArtRun The classes came up with a
concept they called “Eye C U”. The idea was to welcome, inspire and disturb the runners
during three steps: the welcoming eyes, the odd eyes and the evil eyes. All pupils carried a big
painted eye on a stick and when the runners approached the area, the groups met them
according to their attitude: the welcoming, odd or evil. For the runners the whole thing was

2. CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which
may be made of the information contained therein.
www.centres-eu.org
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union
over in a minute but for the pupils in was a 1½ hour event. When the last runner had passed
the area the “Eye C U” happening was over.
The pilot involved three teachers, 39 pupils, two mentors (from the museum)
5. Impact & Legacy
The school had some experience in teaching entrepreneurship but the pupils are still fairly
insecure about the issue. The evaluation shows that the school teaches skills like
cooperation, how to develop ideas, imagination and creativity and the pupils also agree to
that. The teachers also give a picture of a school that is developing its’ entrepreneurial skills.
One the reasons for the teachers to participate in the pilot was the expected training the
design of the event for ArtRun would give the pupils before they all should work with their
free project assignment later in the school year. A subject like art is not the obvious choice
for 16 year olds but the ArtRun project showed that art – when presented in an
entrepreneurial context can be made interesting for this age group. The mentors state that
they expect the pupils to learn about citizenship and about taking responsibility for their own
situation.
The outcome of the project for the pupils has clearly been that they feel more secure about
working with projects that are unknown to them. The video from the project underlines this:
http://www.centres-eu.org/news/art-run-innovative-way-of-learning-with-art-2/
They also feel that have improved their skills when it comes to getting new ideas and maybe
this a crucial point of the pilot – the pupils actually recognising an improvement!
6. Quality
The project was postponed due to a conflict between teachers and the school authorities and
it meant the project period was very short – 3 weeks from the presentation of the project to
the ArtRun took place. There is a common understanding between the partners that this
actually enhanced the quality of the project. Originally the project was planned to begin
before the summer holiday and then end in September but the new schedule meant that the
pupils could maintain focus on the project since they were not interrupted by a 6 week break.
The aspect of mentor and pupil relationship could have been clearer and in this case the
mentor is not an commercial artist or creative industry but an cultural institution.
The project itself went well and the event at the ArtRun was a success. It was clear to
everybody who participated that the pupils had a great interest in the project and that they
were proud of their job! One of the central things in all entrepreneurship teaching is the ability
to contact people and communicate. “Eye C U” was about contacting the people who passed
the pupils on the route and all these people were of course unknown to the pupils.
About 40 pupils were in this pilot and they all took part in the same activity. The group could
easily have been split into smaller teams and by that had given the pilot a bigger diversity.
The evaluation sheets show that the pupils consider themselves a bit more entrepreneurial
after the pilot and that the process had changed the original idea dramatically. The teachers
seem to agree in this and they say that the pupils have learnt about accepting each others’
skills and the project made the pupils “forget their lunch break” Quote from the evaluation.

3. CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which
may be made of the information contained therein.
www.centres-eu.org
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union
The mentors clearly saw the project as a benefit for both the students and for themselves.
They saw a potential in new guest but also an opportunity to develop the programmes they
offer to schools.
7. Insight
A project between school and museums is not new and probably goes on in a lot of
countries, but the ArtRun project shows that entrepreneurship can add new dimensions to
teaching art because the pupils suddenly can see a purpose of the art and that gives them a
better understanding of how art can change peoples’ lives.
The concept of classes working together with cultural institutions in entrepreneurship projects
can easily be adapted by other schools and “Eye C U” will be presented at the annual
“Danish Entrepreneurship Award” as an example of a new way of teaching art. Also in the
future collaboration between schools and Arken the experiences from the pilot will play an
important role when it comes the future development of the activities that the museum
provides to schools.
The pilot also has an international potential and could be a part of recommendations for
museums as an example on how to set up a learning scenario where pupils can act upon
their ideas to the benefit other others – a challenge every museum probably faces frequently.