“I am intrigued with the shapes people choose as their symbols to create a language…” Keith Haring

What an absolute privilege it has been to work with Year 6 over the past few weeks. To unleash imaginations and to provide a safe space to express who they are and what matters to them was the intention.

In the studio there has been laughter and tears, frustration and whoops of delight as we have shared through spoken and written words and pictures those who are special to us, our hobbies and interests as well as our dreams and our fears. The impact is glorious. The learning journey is captured below.

Using monochrome mixed media-pencils, charcoal, graphite, biro, crayon, felt tip, paint and paper-we used our imaginations to mark make and create. To draw anything was a challenge for some of us, but in setting the time aside to explore and let anything happen produced some interesting results.

We then read together ‘The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing’. This picture book biography of the iconic pop artist Keith Haring, shared his story and art in a way that we could all access and embrace.

Although initially a little uncomfortable, Year 6 were encouraged to strike a pose that their peers would sketch in the style of Keith Haring. It proved a successful ice breaker/ warm up and outlines of friends-the form- was captured using a minimum of lines.

The simplicity of Keith Haring’s representation of people, animals, creatures and objects encouraged us to simplify our drawings of what mattered to us. These drawings inspired our designs that we transferred onto A3 photocopying paper, painstakingly cut out using craft knives and then finally screen printed onto t-shirts.

The results were wonderful. Each year 6 artist then gave their print a title accompanied by a profound blurb.

A big thank you goes out to Year 6 from me, for going deep and courageously sharing your wonderful unique selves.

As part of Year 6’s Arts Celebration, parents and interested adults were invited to walk the gallery in the art studio with their young artist. There were smiles and tears as well as pride from all.