Partnerships


Far right and above left: pupils explored different techniques during Art Week. Left: an art evening brought children, parents and teachers together. Above: pupils’ self portraits in the style of Julian Opie


but we felt some parents wouldn’t appreciate being asked to spend a considerable amount of money to buy their child’s artwork having already donated money to the project. Instead, we offered the children’s individual crayon artworks (canvases featuring wax crayons that ‘bleed’ onto the canvas by melting the crayons with a hairdryer) to parents for a nominal fee of £3 each. All other artwork produced was


we asked for a donation from parents of £5 per child, and also received £5,500 from our PFA. Because the PFA and parents had funded the projects, we wanted to get them involved. Many came in to assist with the workshops, and we also organised a family art session one evening during the week, to involve the whole community and get children, parents and teachers working together. We invited the artist Darcy Turner


into school to hold a workshop with staff and some of the children. Darcy produces amazing 3D sculptures from tightly rolled sheets of newspaper, and we then got staff to demonstrate the technique at the family art evening. Parents and children formed


teams of around five to six people and were given the challenge of creating a piece of furniture out of newspaper. The process involved rolling up the newspaper tightly and sealing each roll with wallpaper paste before putting it through a special roller to make it tight and strong. These newspaper ‘sticks’ could then be tied together with cable ties to make a 3D structure. We showed them a stool for inspiration,


‘We received really positive feedback, with many parents


commenting on how enjoyable it was to work together with


their children on a project for once, and to meet and work with parents from different year groups’


and the winning team made a very impressive useable chair. The evening was free to attend


and we offered spaces on a first come, first served basis, limited to 100. Parents donated old newspapers and Darcy lent us the rollers – so all we had to supply was the wallpaper paste and cable ties, keeping costs to a minimum. We received really positive feedback, with many parents commenting on how enjoyable it was to work together with their children on a project for once, and to meet and work with parents from different year groups. The event was very oversubscribed, so if we do it again we would consider holding it over two evenings. We did consider holding an art exhibition at the end of the week,


used to decorate the school. By the end of the week, each child had created their own canvas self- portrait, clay flower, butterfly, feather and ceramic tile, all of which were incorporated into bright and impactful displays in our entrance hall. These included a huge pair of colourful wings (made from the feathers), a collage of hundreds of butterflies, and a floor-to-ceiling montage of 465 self-portraits on canvas, featuring all pupils and most staff, painted in an array of styles. It took us over two days to put all


the artwork up and I’ll never forget the noises the children made when they first walked in and saw it. Whenever we have visitors in school they always comment on the displays – they really are stunning. It’s definitely something we’d


consider doing again – perhaps with the focus on a different part of the curriculum – as a way to get the school and its wider community to come together and collaborate. It was a very positive experience


for all involved, and I can’t believe how much we were able to achieve in just one week.’ Rachel Brock, headteacher, Estcots Primary School, East Grinstead, West Sussex (420 pupils)


FundEd SUMMER 2020 33


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