Summary 2009

Bradford Matters Art Project: 22 - 26 June 2009

Public Display

This was a year-long project involving four primary schools. The four schools worked in two pairs:- Fagley Primary School and Byron Primary School and Crossflatts Primary School and Holycroft Primary School.

Following work in their individual schools on identity and diversity the schools met at Centenary Square in Bradford to mark out the location of the Mirror Pool.

This was an event to raise awareness of the future plans for the city. Following the photograph the children took part in activities organised by Schools Linking Network, including photography, film, sketching and collage in order to capture the students’ thoughts and images of the people and places in Bradford.

After this first meeting the four schools worked in two pairs. They looked at how Bradford’s population had changed over time and began to think about the recent city centre developments. The children made documentaries using the photographs and film footage they captured on their first meeting.

The children worked with artist Tim Curtis to develop an exhibition based on a panoramic photograph of Centenary Square. This work is a moveable exhibition and has already been exhibited at the Bradford Univeristy University Atrium Building and the Midland Hotel. The exhibition will go to many other locations in Bradford over the course of next year.

The project raised the children’s awareness of their shared city and enabled them to explore what they all hold in common in terms of the places they enjoy visiting and their hopes and fears for the future Bradford. The project also gave them a real sense of shared pride in their work and in living in such a diverse city, providing many opportunities to celebrate this.

Identity Umbrellas: 22-26 June 2009

Public Display

Low Moor Primary and Marshfield Primary used the global art project, Matt Lamb Umbrellas for Peace as the focus of their linking.

Within their own schools, the children firstly explored their own identities through poetry. This was shared with the partner school and helped open up conversations about the diversity of Bradford. Children then met in a workshop held at Cartwright Hall, where pairs, made up of both schools, decorated umbrellas to represent their shared hopes and fears. Many children and parents visited these unique umbrellas when they were exhibited at Bradford University. This project allowed the children to express their opinions on the city in which they live.

Personal Journeys: 22-26 June 2009

Public Display

The above project was aimed at uniting young people from Hanson School, Selby High School, Upper Wharfedale School & Carlton Bolling College. Through a series of art based workshops the students explored common ground such as journeys to and from their localities, as well as highlighting and celebrating the differences in their everyday experiences.

Over a period of time, a relationship developed between students at the schools. After preparation in each school, students met and worked together at an art gallery to produce pictorial maps of their individual journeys to their shared destination.

They captured their personal experiences and responses to the questions: ‘Who am I?’, ‘Who are we?’, ‘Where do we live?’ in their sketch books. These activities were followed by visits to link schools.

Their personal journeys are represented using felt making, an age old textile tradition.

Children’s Rights: 22 June 2009

Performance

Clayton CE and Clayton Village Primary are situated within walking distance of each other and the Head teachers were keen to develop a shared community in Clayton.

The School councils working across the age groups, explored human rights within their immediate shared community and globally. This raised a discussion about refugees and the children engaged in workshops to investigate stories, facts and myths regarding refugees and asylum seekers. The children have become ambassadors for their school and have shared their learning with their class members.

The year ended with an excellent drama performance called ‘A Diary of a Refugee’, based on the story of Gervelie, a refugee girl from the Congo. This was performed for parents at the Theatre in the Mill. The performance marked the end of Refugee week and the beginning of WDWTWA week.

Unfair Trade: Transported Rhythms  - 23 June 2009

Performance

St. Bede’s and Challenge College students looked at the history of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. This project involved the creation of backdrops, composing music and incorporating this into a performance for WDWTWA at Theatre in the Mill.

Colour & Light : A Drop of Science – 24 June 2009

Exhibition

The main object of the project has been to look at the cohesion of two diverse communities within Bradford. Sharing similarities and differences through common artistic interventions and activities that explored the theme of colour and light from both scientific and creative perspectives.

The exhibition was the product of children working together. A curriculum based outcome of imagery and learning. It is hoped the ‘soft’ outcome of children beginning to discover and consider the diverse cultures and people of Bradford comes through.

Fair Trade: 25 June 2009

Performance

Allerton primary school serves children from a wide range of cultures, faiths and socio-economic groups. In partnership with SLN, all children in year 5 took part in a cross-curricular project on Fair Trade. Pupils’ ideas were central. The project aimed to develop deeper conversations, a sense of personal and whole group identity and to engage parents in their children’s learning.

The end result was a performance by all the children at the ‘Theatre in the Mill’ at Bradford University,  two miles from the school.