LATEST NEWS:
Cavendish Arts and Creative Learning Project
An exciting project is "taking off"!  Pupils from Buxton Community School are involved in a creative art project with science learning being built in.

Sarah Brindley, a local sculptor who also has a science degree, is leading the group of 15 pupils. They have been involved in various craft skills whilst making parts (based on leaves so far) for a three dimensional art work which will demonstrate physics principles. This has been happening during the Autumn term and the aim is to make the component parts in the winter, which will come together to be a sculpture, and be displayed at the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery later in the summer.

A case to contain it for travel is also being designed because it will be subsequently placed with Derbyshire and Derby schools library service for use as an educational resource.   So many pupils will benefit from this initiative. It will be interesting to see not just an art work, but one which takes the crossover to science in learning, and involves the flow of water.

Sarah Brindley has a piece of her sculpture in the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, which all can see now. It is very different by its nature from the Cavendish NADFAS project but her approach to natural forms and inventive use of various materials comes through in the creativity of both art works. The commissioned work in the Pavilion Gardens is in memory to a past director of landscape services in the High Peak and also incorporates some of his poetry.

Derby University Fine Art Faculty – There are two Fine Art based programmes – B.A. (Hons.) Fine Art Studio Practice and B.A. (Hons.) Photography.  It is proposed that the Cavendish Grant (£1,500) be divided between the two programmes and that the winners should be chosen from two short lists of 3 students in the third stage of their programmes, from their degree shows in June 2008, where Cavendish representatives would be invited to choose the winners.

Summer Project – funded by the Cavendish Grant – July to October 2008 - Brief for this is to be drawn up by the Fine Art Faculty and Cavendish, with a Derbyshire focus, for the winners to produce work to be exhibited in September/October in Derby and November/December in The Dome at Buxton.  It is proposed that Cavendish should receive a piece of work from each winner to begin a collection or use in some other way.                                   
ANGELA KELLIE & DAWN KENT
January 2008

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FURTHER INFORMATION ON CAVENDISH DFAS INVOLVEMENTS:

Partners:
Cavendish DFAS – Dawn Kent – Liaison Officer,  Angela Kellie
Buxton Community School – Nick Branch
Derbyshire County Council -Annie Everall - Community and Cultural Services,                                         Denise Pritchard - Derbys School Library Service
                                        Ros Westwood -Buxton Museum and Art Gallery
                                        Kim Johnson - Children and Younger Adults

Accepted Proposal:
The project will be coordinated by Buxton Museum and Art Gallery with specific input from other DCC staff, Buxton Community School and Cavendish Fine Art Society (CavDFAS) as required.

A commissioning group involving Buxton Museum and Gallery, School Library Service, Buxton Community School and CFAS will recruit a visual artist to work on the Cavendish Arts and Creative Learning Project.

The artist will work alongside a lead teacher and student representatives to deliver a 5 day residency at Buxton Community School to develop ideas and plans for a piece of commissioned 3D art work – linking with a specific curriculum area to be decided by the school.

The artist will create the final piece of art work to a brief established by the commissioning group.

Associated learning resources will be developed through collaboration between the artist, students and teachers

The art work will be ‘piloted’ as a stimulus for learning across the curriculum in 4 partner primary schools through half day workshops led by the artist thereby generating additional learning resources as well as evaluative feedback from children and teachers.

School Library Service will put together a ‘resource box’ of all the learning materials generated and additional stimulus material to accompany the 3D work and be loaned out as part of the regular School Library Service.

Timeline

June/July 07	Artist Commissioned	RW,DP, DK, AK
July 07	School Partnership agreed	KJ
October 07	Planning day	KJ,RW,DP
Nov/Dec 07	Secondary school residency	RW,KJ,DP
Jan-Feb 08	Artist creates work	RW
April 07	Work piloted in primary schools	RW,KJ,DP
April-July 08	Resource box created	DP
July –August 08	Creative work exhibited at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery	RW, DK, AK
Sept 08	Loan service commences	DP

Budget
3D commissioned work and associated learning resources – £2,500 (Cavendish DFAS)
Creative Learning Project in schools – £2,000 (DCC)
Project Management – £500 (Cavendish to raise through letter of application to Bingham Trust)
Total project budget - £5000

Sustainability
Through the financial support of Cavendish Fine Art Society a new piece of professional artwork will be owned by the Derbyshire School Library Service providing effective and ongoing access through the Derbyshire School Library Service.

To meet costs in this initial pilot year DCC will contribute £2000 and suggest that the outstanding £500 is requested from the Buxton based Bingham Trust.

For long term sustainability, if the Society is prepared to convert the proposed £2,500 per annum support into £5000 every other year, this will enable the activity to become a sustainable, bi-annual event.

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University of Derby BA (Hons) Fine Art - CAVDFAS Travel Awards
The awards will be made on the grounds of achievement and recognition for engagement and excellence in core studio practice; the awards will be decided by the Fine Art teaching team and adjudicated by Bill Lound Director of the Wirksworth Arts Festival.

The cultural visits are of increasing importance to the programme and many are seen as formative and inspiring experiences for students.  The experience ultimately returns to inform core studio practice.  These visits are often the first time that a student has had the chance to make a visit which is completely dedicated to their art-form, and as such provide an experience which underpins future research and possible directions.

Future visits are planned for; Paris, Madrid.

The first Award of £1,000 helped to fund 3 free places for students on the BA (Hons) Fine Art Course, to Barcelona for a Cultural Visit in March 2007.

Head of Fine Art, University of Derby, Scott Green attended our festive Society lunch on 28th November 2006 to receive a cheque for £1000 from Cavendish DFS.