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A huge thank you!

A huge thank you to everyone that worked on, supported and took part in our project. It has been an incredible experience for everyone who was associated with the activities that took place.

If you’d like to see our creative adventure from the beginning be sure to visit the first page of our blog by clicking the links at the bottom of this page, and if you would like to find out more about the project click on the ‘about’ section.

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Stonebroom Primary School Drama Workshop

Some feedback from the young people:

“That was fun" 

"I like acting"

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Year 8 Diversity Day

This day opened additional learning that was kick started through the exchange visit, and was set out the same as the international day. This approach was purposely devised to reach and positively impact more local young citizens in the Tibshelf Wharf (126 to be exact!).  The workshops were planned as a series of 5 x 1 hour experience workshops between a lead artist and creative facilitator.  

Workshops:

Lead Artist: Dave Wood (Wordsmith/poet practitioner)

Facilitator: Chris Ehrenzeller (Street Performer)

Worked with young people to create a series of poems based on religion, customs, rituals, popular culture and identity. Sections of the poems were spotlighted and re-written on A5 sheets of coloured paper and then these were displayed as 'prayer flags' in a live paper installation that grew throughout the day.

Dave Quote: “one pupil who was resistant said the session was ‘great’ on exiting the session”

Chris (Facilitator) Quote: “The way Dave set out the sessions I thought was excellent. Opening with questions about diversity; firstly between inanimate objects then between people. This led to the pupils exploring and thinking about differences

The groups were all slightly different in their responses to the initial verbal questions, the first group being very slow to begin (possibly as their first diversity workshop of the day they were not totally sure). By contrast, the second group dove right in and were verbal and engaged from the very first question”

Lead Artist: David Wadsworth (Potter)

Facilitator: Nicola Wheeler (Potter)

Through the medium of clay the young people were encouraged to create their very own multicultural mask. Various stimuli and cultural references were used from ‘the day of the dead’ to more traditional Japanese, African and Indian masks. Ultimately the young people developed their own creation influenced by the cultural stimuli and rituals shared. The pieces are due to be biscuit fired at The Pottery and will be delivered for exhibiting in the school in September.

Dave: “I was really surprised of how popular ‘the day of the dead’ theme was. So many of the children used this as a starting point idea for their masks and spoke about how their parents love the images associated with this. It made the task of engaging them no problem at all because they was interested and the resources gave them more information about the histories and rituals. The kids made some great stuff. Kids always do though don’t they given half the chance!”

Nic: “I really enjoyed it, it was hectic but it’s really something to say that we reached so many children in one day and gave them the chance to make something with us”

Lead Artist: Martin Blackham (Creative Forum)

Facilitator: Natalie Peace (Growth Activities)

Young people came together to do den building using canes and various materials that explored diversity in terms of space and interconnectivity. Each group made their own pod and connected it to another pod using various statements and materials

Artist quote: “The young people took ownership of the concept, with each group using the materials supplied to display their own ideas. It was lovely to see and some of the outcomes were very surprising. The groups seemed to enjoy working with the creative professionals and in our experience they took on board the creative challenge issued. They responded well to our enthusiastic approach and good to see them appreciate it”

Lead Artist: Bob Moulder (Illustrator)

Facilitator: Bev Moss (Emerging Creative Practitioner)

The session was designed to get young people considering language and celebrating words visually. A series of stimuli was distributed that got young people to contract the same word written in various language as well as interesting expressions used across different countries. The young people deigned hand-letter words using various words in Marathi, Latin characters, Devanagari script and Chinese writing. Elements of the word were illustrative.

Lead Artist: Sally Lemsford

Facilitator: Donna Booth (Growth Activities)

Sally’s workshop was designed to explore communities, citizenship, diversity and cultural similarities & differences. Her approach was to use curatorship with hundreds of artifacts for young people to create diverse story installations and boundaries of physical space.

YP Quotes from this session

“Diversity isn’t always visible but can be in the things you can’t see”

“It’s ok to be different”

“We may look the same but we all have our own differences”

Sally Quote: “25 amazing very diverse stories, high levels of energy and motivation, quickly understanding the process of curating objects to tell a story. Some wanted to act them out, be part of the installations. Quick-fire workshops have their own energy. Longer workshops are an entirely different product altogether. I think this format could be developed in many scenarios/spaces/participants”

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Diversity Day

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Diversity Day

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Diversity Day

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Interview with “Young Leaders” dance group.

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Westhouses Primary School Clay Modelling Workshop

Quotes from pupils involved with the session

‘I’m really proud of what i have made, my mum is going to love it and I can tell her about these day of the dead skulls now and what they mean. She loves skulls’

‘My friend had a birthday party at the pottery years ago when he was little, it’s really brilliant that Dave’s come into school, will he be coming in again!’

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Tibshelf Town End Primary School Printing Workshop

Quotes from some of the young people who were involved:

"Can I take mine home?"

"I really like doing art things"

"I wish we could do this every week"

“Are you coming again?"

and some comments from the teachers

"That looks really lovely."

"I have never known him to be so engaged before."

"This is the quietest I have ever know this class to be!"

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Blackwell School Printing Workshop

Some quotes from the young people involved:

"I have never done anything like this before"

"I have really enjoyed doing this"

"This is so much fun"

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Primary School Workshops

6 primary schools are to receive ½ day workshops that will allow them to experience some of the activities that 3 artists have delivered in the project so far:

Harlequin Arts (Karen Herrick) @ Blackwell Primary, Newton Primary & Tibshelf Town End Junior

David Wadsworth @ Westhouses School

Face Up Theatre (Ian Pringle) @ Stonebroom & Morton School

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Tibshelf Open Gardens Scarecrow Display

As we wave off the Indian visitors the project is still is yet to deliver a creative Diversity Day to all of year 8, workshops in 6 local primary schools and a school arts exhibition. There’s still so many wonderful experiences for students, staff and the community to have and you can keep up to date by following @Platform_Thrty1 on Twitter and Platform Thirty1 on Facebook, as well as the Tibshelf School channels too.

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International Day Indian Dance Exchange Practice Session

The visiting Indian girls kindly leant clothes to the dance leaders and together they practiced their dance which they will perform to over 300 people in the performance hall. Teachers, peers, parents and public will be present.

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International Day

100 students including TIC, Indian exchange students and Tibshelf pen-pals had a full day of cultural themed arts activity. Artists were commissioned to deliver by TIC in the planning stages. The workshops aimed to explore the theme of culture and encourage artistic responses whilst learning new creative skills and techniques. Any works created will aim to be showcased in school for wider audience to celebrate the project.

Students were split into 5 groups of 20 and rotated around 5 specialist workshops:

Harlequin Arts (Karen Herrick) TEXTILES & MIXED MEDIA

Creating an individual hand stenciled & printed fabric-square using English paper doilies, stenciling, & printing with Indian woodblocks to celebrate the use of tea in both cultures

Artist Quote: “Students were receptive to the session & used creativity & imagination in producing individual designs”

Face Up Theatre (Ian Pringle) DRAMA

Using dramatic techniques and exercises to explore the written and unwritten structures of different cultural spaces and the behaviour of the individuals who use them

Mossarti (Bev Moss) FELTMAKING

Designing their own piece of felt art by fusing fibres from British sheep with recycled Indian sari silk to form their own unique piece of our very British bunting with the vibrant colours of India.

YP quote in the session - "I've never even heard of felt making before". "I love doing this, it feels strange though."

Dean Leivers DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Exploring their own and each other’s identities, specifically what are the factors that make them who they are. Students wrote a statement that captured an aspect of themselves and shared these in a professional studio portrait, photographed by another member of the group who had learned these shooting skills.

Artist Quote: “I think for the most part that the students I came into contact with seemed to have a little exposure to cultural activities. A lot expressed an interest in art/performance/photography when asked at the beginning of the session but largely these experiences were limited to school based activities. As a result a high percentage gave no indication that they might have worked with creative professionals much in the past. I think that in this particular school setting this was one of the largest benefits for the young people as they were being given a platform to make use of professional grade equipment and techniques to make work. An opportunity that probably won’t be present very often to most of the young people I came into contact with’

Youth Dance Leaders + Annie Woodhouse DANCE

A choreographed dance to Singin’ In The Rain. Annie Woodhouse was present in the sessions largely to give feedback in-between workshops so they could enhance their delivery/demo techniques.

Bob Moulder Professional Illustrator documented the day through live illustration. Giving the young people the opportunity to watch his work in action and speak to him about his profession during the workshops he documented. Bob’s work was then displayed in school as part of the exhibition.

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International Day Workshop Activity.

6 Tibshelf students (Katie, Daisy, Cassie, Jade, Maddie & Ella) who are now referred to as ‘The Dance Leaders’ led the dance workshop: “This experience has made me feel good and appreciative of the support and it made me feel confident and happy to be in control” Daisy Jakymelen (Dance Leader, Y9)

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International Day Workshop Activity.

International Day took place on 6th July and saw 100 Tibshelf students participate in 5 creative workshops including mixed media textiles, felt making, drama, photography & dance. Black Shale artists selected by TIC facilitated creative activities that tackled the subject of diversity and culture in a celebratory way.  

The 6 Dance Leaders (Katie, Daisy, Cassie, Jade, Maddie & Ella) led the dance workshop: “This experience has made me feel good and appreciative of the support and it made me feel confident and happy to be in control” Daisy Jakymelen (Dance Leader, Y9)

“A high percentage of young people gave no indication that they might have worked with creative professionals much in the past. I think that in this particular school setting this was one of the largest benefits for the young people as they were being given a platform to make use of professional grade equipment and techniques to make work” Dean Leivers – Photographer/Creative Practitioner

“Students were receptive to the session & used creativity & imagination in producing individual designs” Karen Herrick