Mike Stevenson  trained  in his native city at Liverpool College of Art, where he was awarded the National Diploma in Design in Sculpture.  He undertook teacher training at Manchester College of Art and qualified with Distinction.  Initially he taught in secondary schools and was head of an art department.  He then developed an interest in the freedom of working with younger pupils and moved into primary education, eventually becoming Deputy Head and Head of an experimental primary school. He taught often in Colleges and Universities and later gained a Master of Arts degree, awarded with Distinction. 

            Mike then worked as a Local Authority Adviser and Inspector, responsible for developing art, design and technology education in all the schools and colleges administered by a Local Education Authority.  Mike ended his career as a General Education Adviser responsible for improving performance and attainment in a group of schools.  During his career he trained as an Ofsted School Inspector and participated in many inspections of primary and secondary schools. 

            He remains a frequent contributor to a number of national courses and conferences on a variety of artistic and educational issues.   Mike is particularly interested in the development of creative thinking skills, and how that development contributes to the overall intellectual development of the person.  He is now, once again, a practicing and exhibiting artist.  For a time he was the Secretary and webmaster of the Didsbury Arts Network, a group formed to promote local arts events. He is a member of the Didsbury Drawing Group, an artists’ co-operative that meets weekly to draw from the model.  He has exhibited recently in a number of open exhibitions and his work was selected by Stockport Art Gallery for a long term Artlink exhibition.  His work is in several private collections.  In collaboration with his wife Alwena, Mike has gained considerable experience of designing and painting sets for theatrical productions.

            Mike continues to write for publication in a variety of journals, magazines and newspapers. He is the educational consultant and writes regular articles for ‘Mums and Dads’ magazine.  

            Mike is quoted as saying, “I get very impatient with the art establishment in all its guises. They talk constantly about art being for everyone – much of art education where I earned my living is based on that very premise.  Yet they then go on to act and speak in ways that mean that everyone other than a very small and ever decreasing number of people, is excluded from any kind of participation in art at all!  The art establishment is far more built on cronyism than all of the Government's quangos”.

            Throughout his career Mike has taught most aspects of art and design to a variety of age groups.  He delivers successful workshops on painting; drawing and 3-dimensional work.  He has lectured extensively to adult groups on how people learn to be artistic.  He lectures on planning and organising the art curriculum in schools. Mike runs workshops to help adults talk sensibly with others and with children about art works.  He has frequently visited schools to discuss his own work with pupils.  Mike runs very successful courses to help teachers understand, plan and teach art better as well as contributing to courses and conferences about more general educational issues such as school improvement and improving learning and attainment by improving teaching.  Currently, he is a tutor for the Open College of The Arts distance learning courses.   Please contact him if you think he might be able to contribute to one of your projects.