Art Attack

Art Attack
source
Show name	Art Attack
Genre	Children's art television show
Creator	Neil Buchanan
Presenter	Neil Buchanan; other hosts in regional versions
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Original network	ITV (CITV)
First aired	1990
Last aired	2007 (original run)

Art Attack Art Attack is a British children's television programme focusing on visual arts, craft techniques, and creative challenges presented through studio demonstrations and large-scale projects. The series popularized do-it-yourself art projects for children and families, merging practical demonstration with performance and visual spectacle. It influenced broadcasters, publishers, museums, galleries, and arts education initiatives across Europe and beyond.

Overview

The programme combined hands-on demonstrations, filmed features, and large-scale "big art" constructions performed in public spaces and studios. Its on-screen presenter showcased techniques using everyday materials, often referencing works by Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Salvador Dalí and other canonical figures to contextualize activities. Segments invoked museums and institutions such as the Tate Modern, British Museum, Louvre, Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery (London), and Victoria and Albert Museum to situate popular projects within broader artistic traditions. Production involved regional broadcasters like Granada Television and commissioning editors at ITV and CITV.

History

Conceived in the late 1980s by creator-presenter Neil Buchanan and developed with production teams at Granada Television and independent producers, the show premiered on ITV in 1990. During its run the programme underwent format changes influenced by shifts in children's programming policy at Ofcom and commissioning trends at ITV plc. The series ran through the 1990s into the early 2000s, paralleled by contemporary children's arts initiatives such as projects at the Arts Council England and outreach by institutions like the National Theatre and Royal Opera House. International syndication paired with localized versions tailored by broadcasters including Disney Channel (Spain), Telemundo, and public service networks in Australia like the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Format and Content

Episodes typically featured a presenter demonstrating small-scale projects, filmed location reports, and a signature large-scale construction assembled within a time-lapse sequence. The programme referenced works and techniques associated with Henri Matisse, Georges Seurat, Roy Lichtenstein, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, and Barbara Hepworth to illustrate styles or inspire projects. The large-scale "big art" segments took place in venues such as the Alexandra Palace, ExCeL London, and public plazas, and sometimes involved collaborations with schools, local councils, and cultural bodies including London Borough of Hackney and Manchester City Council. Technical crews often consulted conservation professionals from the Courtauld Institute of Art and exhibition designers from firms linked to the Hayward Gallery.

International Versions

The format spawned adaptations and dubbed broadcasts across Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania. Local presenters and production companies created region-specific episodes airing on networks such as RTVE, TVE, Rai, RAI 1, ZDF, ARD, NHK, Televisa, and SBT. Licensing involved children's programming divisions at media conglomerates like The Walt Disney Company, Grupo Globo, and Viacom. Cultural ministries and arts councils in countries including Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and Mexico commissioned companion educational resources tied to school curricula and youth outreach programmes.

Reception and Impact

Critics and educators praised the programme's accessibility and practical pedagogy while commentators debated its role in shaping aesthetic tastes among young viewers. Coverage appeared in periodicals and outlets such as The Guardian, The Times, BBC News, The Independent, and specialist journals associated with the National Art Education Association and the Royal Society of Arts. The series influenced arts-in-schools advocacy by organisations like the Campaign for Drawing and curricular discussions at universities including Goldsmiths, University of London and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Merchandise and Spin-offs

The television brand expanded into books, activity kits, magazines, and home video, distributed by publishers and retailers including Penguin Books, Dorling Kindersley, Hachette, BBC Books, and chains such as WHSmith and Barnes & Noble. Licensed products included craft sets manufactured by firms tied to Hasbro, Mattel, and specialist arts suppliers. Spin-offs and tie-ins encompassed touring exhibitions at venues like the Science Museum, published compilations, and stage shows produced by regional theatre companies and promoters such as Live Nation.

Legacy and Cultural Influence

The show's legacy endures in popular culture, inspiring a generation of artists, teachers, and media producers and resulting in continued references across social platforms, fan communities, and museum education departments. Alumni and collaborators have continued careers at institutions including Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, Tate Britain, and broadcast organisations like Channel 4 and BBC. Retrospectives and academic studies have examined its role in informal learning, museum outreach, and the commercialization of children's arts programming in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Category:British children's television series Category:Arts education Category:Television series by Granada Television