ARTS AWARD

Our Arts Award Explore course began in a plume of charcoal in January! Our current theme is Landmarks, and our young artists began the programme by producing drawings of the Seven Wonders of the World using willow charcoal sticks. The resulting drawings are expressive and show our artists’ eye for detail. Following this excitement, we moved on to create stunning sunset cityscapes painted on mini canvases in acrylics. When the paint was dry, we added glowing windows and sparkly stars using special metallic marker pens. The canvases are extremely eye-catching when lined up together and we are having a good think about where best to display them. We are now in the middle of a research project where we are finding out about a local artist based in Stockport. The girls have collated lots of facts and are now making pretty watercolour studies of our school in the same style. After the Easter break, we are going to complete a little more research before moving on to a 3D mixed media activity. The girls are very enthusiastic, and we are lucky to have so many hardworking and happy artists in the Junior School.

This term, our Arts Award Bronze artists have been dedicating their time to producing beautifully presented portfolios. They have researched the life and work of tapestry weaver Marta Rogoyska, and they have laid out facts, images and their own reflections with flair and creativity. The girls have also meticulously sewn their own mini tapestries inspired by the artist, and these textile pieces celebrate colour, shape and pattern. Alongside this area of work, we have also undertaken an informative and fun trip to The Lowry. As a group we explored contemporary art and also a vast collection of paintings and drawings by L.S. Lowry. The girls conducted themselves extremely well during this excursion and the gallery staff were more than happy to provide us with extra resources, information booklets and handouts. We are now in the early stages of planning and delivering the special Skills Share module of the course, and the girls are thinking about artistic techniques and methods that they would like to pass onto their peers. We are thoroughly enjoying our Arts Award Bronze classes and the girls are demonstrating that they are passionate and gifted artists.

During our after-school sessions this term, our Arts Award Silver artists have been focusing entirely on their Arts Challenge. The Art Studio has hosted a myriad of printmaking projects, and the girls have enjoyed developing their final pieces using silk screen methods, gelli printing, poly printing and dry point etching. Our pupils have embraced different themes and subject matters that mean something to them personally, and their artwork is as unique as they are. All the final pieces are going to be displayed together and will form a substantial part of our artist’s portfolios. As an additional experience for our Arts Award Silver cohort, we visited the Imperial War Museum North on Saturday 4th March. We listened to a volunteer talk about the impressive poppy installation before witnessing a light and sound show in the main gallery space. The event was organised so that the pupils were able to collect valuable research for their portfolios, and our pupils will reflect on their findings as part of a compulsory module on the programme. We were very pleased with their focus and interest in the gallery. Going forward, our students will continue to refine and work further into their portfolios, and we will be excited to share it all with friends and family during our exhibition planned for the summer term.