YOUNG ARTS PROJECTS

SMALL SCHOOLS ART EXHIBITION 2012
The aim of the project is to encourage children from the smaller primary schools in the Hope Valley to understand and produce an illustration through organising a public art exhibition using art-work initiated by workshops from a visiting professional artist.

The artist chosen is Katie McCall from Furness Vale.  Katie is very enthusiastic about the project.  She is a practising abstract artist but also works for Manchester City Art Gallery running schools workshops in a variety of subjects, including portraiture, drawing and printing. 

The schools were chosen for their small size and reasonably close location.  They are  Edale, Castleton, Great Hucklow, Peak Forest and Litton.  Approximately 10-12 of the older pupils’ work will be exhibited.  Due to the pressure of space in these mainly two-roomed schools it has been agreed with the Head-teachers  that younger pupils may need to attend the workshops, but will only display their work in school.

The subject and the medium of the illustration will be chosen by the school, or the artist, after consultation with the Head-teacher.  The subject will be either from a book the children are reading, or subject currently studied.

The exhibition will be held in a public location in Buxton and will be arranged to coincide with a Cavendish lecture day so that members can visit if they so wish.

An Exhibition Catalogue, with a selection of the art-work will be produced and presented to the participating schools and each participant will receive a certificate, and the opportunity to purchase a catalogue.
JAN HARDY

 

PROGRESS REPORT FROM EMMA HARDY ON HER PhD IN ART AND EDUCATION - September 2011

This year my PhD work has focused on developing a distinctive and viable project plan which has been approved by the Research Sub Committee in the School of Arts and Social Sciences at Northumbria University.  The working title has been agreed as ‘Can 14-16 year old students operate as artists within the secondary school environment?  An Art Practice led investigation to identify how creative thinking skills may be best supported for 14-16 year old students in art and design education.’  The proposal and supporting documentation was approved without correction.

On the education side of my research I have begun conducting a literature review which is due for completion in September and will form chapter one of the PhD thesis.  The research is leading me to be increasingly interested in the language used with students and how this affects the direction that the students take and the level of critical thinking skills that they develop.  In order to explore this further I have observed undergraduate sculpture critiques at Northumbria University and recorded the language used by tutors and students.  I plan to analyse this against similar observation of GCSE students and tutors and explore similarities/differences in order to identify best practice.

In my art practice element of the research I have continued to develop the theme of mother/daughter relationships in my work through textile and drawing.  It has been a pleasure for me to return to detailed drawing and painting this year, looking at a textile surface as a means of exploring ideas of nostalgia and personal history.  I have also developed new textile pieces, the most recent of which are two small white dresses made of slightly transparent fabric which hang inside out next to each other in an exhibition space.  They are currently on exhibition in Central Gallery in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne as part of their ‘moving on’ exhibition.  Further exhibition opportunities have been identified for 2011.

I am very grateful for the opportunity that funding from Cavendish DFAS has offered to me and I have thoroughly enjoyed my research this year.  Unfortunately circumstances at the school where I work have made it necessary for me to return full time in September in order to take on a Head of Department role, and therefore my PhD studies are  having to be put on hold for the present time.  I fully intend to continue my art practice and seek exhibition opportunities during this interlude and hope to return to the more formal elements of the research in the future.

---

MARY MARSH & ANGELA KELLY

The Committee would like to hear of any  suitable requests for sponsorship by Cavendish DFAS.

---