Resource spotlight: Art, interfaith encounter and searching for meaning in RE
The Cloud of Witnesses Project
The Cloud of Witnesses project, funded by Culham St Gabriel’s Trust, offers a rich and engaging set of art and interfaith resources designed for both primary and secondary classrooms. Developed alongside a national exhibition, these materials invite pupils to explore how people express belief, identity and experience through visual art. There are materials for lessons for both the Primary and Secondary age group.
This is a flexible resource that supports disciplinary approaches in Religion and Worldviews, particularly theology, philosophy, human and social sciences. It creates space for careful observation, interpretation and dialogue, while also foregrounding lived experience and diversity.
As you look at these pupil-facing resources consider these questions
- How might using visual art open up different kinds of understanding or questioning in your RE/RME/RVE curriculum?
- In what ways can these resources help pupils engage with lived experience across different religious and non-religious worldviews?
- Where could this fit within your current units to deepen disciplinary thinking or enrich enquiry?
What does the resource offer?
The project provides:
- High-quality contemporary artwork from a range of traditions and perspectives
- Classroom-ready materials tailored for primary and secondary phases
- Enquiry-led activities that support discussion, interpretation and reflection
- Interfaith perspectives that help pupils encounter both commonality and difference
- Clear links to RE curriculum aims, including meaning-making, expression and identity
Teachers can engage with the materials by exploring the exhibition itself or by accessing structured resources within the education sections.
How might this support your teaching?
This resource is particularly useful if you are looking to:
- Use art as a stimulus for deeper thinking in RE
- Support pupils to interpret and respond to religious and non-religious worldviews
- Develop pupils’ visual literacy and questioning skills
- Create opportunities for dialogue and reflection across traditions
- Bring authentic voices and lived experience into the classroom
The materials can be integrated into existing units on belief, identity, or ways of expressing worldviews.
This is a thoughtful and accessible series of resources that supports both depth and inclusivity in RE. It offers a meaningful way to bring together creativity, interpretation and encounter in the classroom.
