Art
We love working with a range of artist materials such as paint, oil pastels, clay and printing inks! Our teachers plan engaging art experiences which often involve trips to art galleries or inviting local artists into school to work on large scale collaborative pieces to display in school! We see art as a way for learners to share their imaginations, broaden their understanding of the world and how we look at it, and as a means to express themselves.
After-school Art clubs are always highly attended, with some fantastic outcomes! We have worked with artists from Z-Arts and also have some talented TAs in school who deliver quality art experiences.
When trips to art galleries are planned they include hands-on workshops for the children to work alongside working artists and specialists from printmakers to sculptors!
Teachers have recently attended ‘Studio Nights’ at The Whitworth Art Gallery as a means to build on their own art skills and apply them in their classrooms. We hope to attend lots more in the future and love feeling part of The Whitworth’s community.
School hosted its first ‘Christmas Crafts Afternoon’ in December this year which was a great creative success! Families were involved with making a wide range of Christmas themed crafts with their children and were entertained by St Kentigern’s Choir!
March 2020 What do you want to be when you grow up?
This March we’ve had a spring in our step with a full week dedicated to ‘bigging-up’ the creative industries by organising a ‘Creative Aspirations Week’. A first for our school!
We began this journey by sending out questionnaires to parents and staff asking for creative contacts that they had or if they themselves could share their creative careers in school. Some of these returned contacts actually visited which was a great outcome!
The week was kick-started with a whole school assembly to engage the learners about the up-coming visitors and creative industry focus! We explored the word ‘Aspirations’ with an acrostic poem, thought about the jobs we could already identify (abit of role-play dressed up here!) and pondered what people who work in the creative industries looked like and the skills they’d need to do their jobs!
A - A hope or ambition for achieving something
S- Something inside you that ignites a passion
P-Preparation is key
I- Into the big wide world you’ll go beyond the school gates
R-Realising your potential…you have the key to unlock it!
A-Anything is possible... believe in your dreams
T-Time to develop your skills to achieve your goals
I-It’s your decision to decide who and what you want to be
O-Opportunities to create your future and be the best you can be
N-No right or wrong answers: just make the path to follow and stick at it!
S-Seeing your career dreams come true!
We put things in perspective with some vital statistics to explain that there would be more chance than ever of a creative career being available when the time comes for them to enter the world of work:
Did you know?
Our member of the school’s Creative Council were 'badged-up' and ready to escort the visitors around school! Each day creative folk ventured into the classrooms and shared their creative career, skill set and tools of their trade with the children!
We met a graphic designer, musicians, actors/drama teachers, an artist who up-cycles furniture, a fashion designer, illustrator and dance teacher, museum educator/performer and the head of careers and employability at Curious Minds! Some visitors set design briefs for the children to have a go at being creative to design their own jacket and a packaging for a chocolate product! The winner to the latter brief would actually be made into packaging and presented to the competition winner!
Feedback from the children showed some important messages being held onto:
“If you have a creative mind you can do anything!”
“I liked that he encouraged us to create our own band!”
“It’s cool to recycle things and make them into Art and something ‘new’ again!”
“You’ve inspired me to go to university and be a fashion designer!”
“Three skills needed for acting: listening, concentration and being able to work with others!”
“We achieve what we want when we work hard!”
“You need to be a problem solver and have good maths skills to be a graphic designer!”
“I didn’t realise that these jobs can be cool and fun!”
One visitor shared an important list of things to do if they wanted a creative job:
Before this Creative Aspirations Week began I asked every child in school what they wanted to be when they grew up. We revisited this same question after the ‘Creative Aspirations Week’ and found that 38% of Key Stage One children now chose a job in the creative industry! (More data to follow for Key Stage 2 but we had quite a few absentees following the CV pandemic!)
Hoping this dedicated week exploring creative careers continues to inspire the children to think about their creative futures!
If anything I hope it’s opened their minds to what’s out their career-wise.
Knowledge is power... power to choose a career that make your soul sing!
HUGE thanks to the following creative experts in their field for sharing their time and enthusiasm throughout our classrooms during our first ever Creative Aspirations Week:
Fay Wong Fashion Designer
Rachel Boyle: Graphic Designer
Sarah Frazer: Musician and Music Teacher
Clem Studholme(Crunch!): Performer and Drama Teacher
Hannah Wiles: Artist
Matt Wardle: Northwest Drama
Victoria Howarth: Performer, a museum educator and event co-ordinator for Schools and Colleges, working with artists and creatives to engage with students.
David McFarlane: Musician and Music teacher
Holly Ball: Head of Careers & Employability at Curious Minds
Sam: ‘Paperdoll Illustrations’ & dance teacher
This March we’ve had a spring in our step with a full week dedicated to ‘bigging-up’ the creative industries by organising a ‘Creative Aspirations Week’. A first for our school!
We began this journey by sending out questionnaires to parents and staff asking for creative contacts that they had or if they themselves could share their creative careers in school. Some of these returned contacts actually visited which was a great outcome!
The week was kick-started with a whole school assembly to engage the learners about the up-coming visitors and creative industry focus! We explored the word ‘Aspirations’ with an acrostic poem, thought about the jobs we could already identify (abit of role-play dressed up here!) and pondered what people who work in the creative industries looked like and the skills they’d need to do their jobs!
A - A hope or ambition for achieving something
S- Something inside you that ignites a passion
P-Preparation is key
I- Into the big wide world you’ll go beyond the school gates
R-Realising your potential…you have the key to unlock it!
A-Anything is possible... believe in your dreams
T-Time to develop your skills to achieve your goals
I-It’s your decision to decide who and what you want to be
O-Opportunities to create your future and be the best you can be
N-No right or wrong answers: just make the path to follow and stick at it!
S-Seeing your career dreams come true!
We put things in perspective with some vital statistics to explain that there would be more chance than ever of a creative career being available when the time comes for them to enter the world of work:
Did you know?
- The Creative Industry is the fastest growing part of the British economy-
- 1 in 10 jobs in the UK are in the creative and cultural industry.
- If this continues there’ll be a lot of creative jobs to choose from when it’s time for you to get a job!
Our member of the school’s Creative Council were 'badged-up' and ready to escort the visitors around school! Each day creative folk ventured into the classrooms and shared their creative career, skill set and tools of their trade with the children!
We met a graphic designer, musicians, actors/drama teachers, an artist who up-cycles furniture, a fashion designer, illustrator and dance teacher, museum educator/performer and the head of careers and employability at Curious Minds! Some visitors set design briefs for the children to have a go at being creative to design their own jacket and a packaging for a chocolate product! The winner to the latter brief would actually be made into packaging and presented to the competition winner!
Feedback from the children showed some important messages being held onto:
“If you have a creative mind you can do anything!”
“I liked that he encouraged us to create our own band!”
“It’s cool to recycle things and make them into Art and something ‘new’ again!”
“You’ve inspired me to go to university and be a fashion designer!”
“Three skills needed for acting: listening, concentration and being able to work with others!”
“We achieve what we want when we work hard!”
“You need to be a problem solver and have good maths skills to be a graphic designer!”
“I didn’t realise that these jobs can be cool and fun!”
One visitor shared an important list of things to do if they wanted a creative job:
- Learn lots
- Try everything once
- Be kind
- Be open to new ideas
- Dream big!
Before this Creative Aspirations Week began I asked every child in school what they wanted to be when they grew up. We revisited this same question after the ‘Creative Aspirations Week’ and found that 38% of Key Stage One children now chose a job in the creative industry! (More data to follow for Key Stage 2 but we had quite a few absentees following the CV pandemic!)
Hoping this dedicated week exploring creative careers continues to inspire the children to think about their creative futures!
If anything I hope it’s opened their minds to what’s out their career-wise.
Knowledge is power... power to choose a career that make your soul sing!
HUGE thanks to the following creative experts in their field for sharing their time and enthusiasm throughout our classrooms during our first ever Creative Aspirations Week:
Fay Wong Fashion Designer
Rachel Boyle: Graphic Designer
Sarah Frazer: Musician and Music Teacher
Clem Studholme(Crunch!): Performer and Drama Teacher
Hannah Wiles: Artist
Matt Wardle: Northwest Drama
Victoria Howarth: Performer, a museum educator and event co-ordinator for Schools and Colleges, working with artists and creatives to engage with students.
David McFarlane: Musician and Music teacher
Holly Ball: Head of Careers & Employability at Curious Minds
Sam: ‘Paperdoll Illustrations’ & dance teacher
Lovely to see so many parents and children at our school's second Art Gallery Exhibition on Tuesday 19th March!
Thank you for your continued support on our many creative journeys!
Thank you for your continued support on our many creative journeys!
St Kentigern's 'Summertime' Art Exhibition
A HUGE thank you to all the families who came along to support our first art exhibition in school this week!
The children were super proud of their efforts being showcased... from clay creatures and squiggly pots, to sunburst paintings and prints!
We even showed off our willow sculpture Year Three had been working on with the talented sculptor Lucy Burscough! This was inspired by a current exhibition on at The Whitworth Gallery by Susan Hefuna... click on the 'What's on in Manchester' link for more information and get involved!
We know you also enjoyed exploring our year group sketchbooks celebrating 'The Creative Arts' experienced by your child over the last two years!
We know there'll be lots more to see and celebrate so keep your eyes peeled on our website!
A HUGE thank you to all the families who came along to support our first art exhibition in school this week!
The children were super proud of their efforts being showcased... from clay creatures and squiggly pots, to sunburst paintings and prints!
We even showed off our willow sculpture Year Three had been working on with the talented sculptor Lucy Burscough! This was inspired by a current exhibition on at The Whitworth Gallery by Susan Hefuna... click on the 'What's on in Manchester' link for more information and get involved!
We know you also enjoyed exploring our year group sketchbooks celebrating 'The Creative Arts' experienced by your child over the last two years!
We know there'll be lots more to see and celebrate so keep your eyes peeled on our website!
