Being brave, being true to ourselves and standing up for what we know is right was the teaching and learning that happened in the classroom, dance studio and art studio this fortnight.

In the art studio, collage, paint, clay, drawing and more collage were the mediums used to convey this message.

Through collage- the technique in which pieces of paper, photographs, fabric and other ephemera are arranged and stuck down onto a supporting surface- the activists David Attenborough, Rosa Parks, Marcus Rashford, Martin Luther King and Greta Thunberg were celebrated. Layering of tissue paper, the coiling of paper and the arrangement of selected words to represent their chosen activist created impactful creations.

Creating tints and shades from the pure colour that reflected them on the day, was the skill 4H then practised. (White was added to create the tints, a dab of black to make the shades.)

Next, 4H created self-portraits using clay. I was so impressed to see how they took a lump of clay, bashed the air bubbles out of it and then began to shape their face and add their facial features. In order to join pieces of clay together, cross hatching and slip was applied. Once air dry their face was painted in the tints and shades of the colour that represented them that day. The hair-added later-had to be the complementary colour.   

A 5 minute portrait of their friend in marker pen, provided the pose and photograph for the final piece. Being a felt tip, there was no rubbing out. Each mark mattered. The results were impressive.

Collage was the medium that 4H used for their final piece. This time, they were the ‘activist’.     

Thank you to the parents and interested adults who made time out of their busy Friday, to join their child for the arts celebration. The following comments give a little insight to the ‘joy’ of what took place:

‘We love being able to come into school to see what the kids have been up to. It’s fabulous to see the passion of the teacher and school staff and to see the kids working together. Thanks for giving us this opportunity.’

‘It was lovely to share the kids enthusiasm for this fortnight and see all the amazing work they’ve been doing.’

‘Thank you! so much for having us! It was a lovely afternoon. Shrutika felt so happy. It was so wonderful to see what she has been doing in school in this half-term. Dance performnce was awesome-kudos to teachers.’

‘It was a really lovely afternoon 🙂 The teachers have clearly worked so hard and the kids loved every minute.’

‘Thank you so much to let Skyler and us have such a wonderful experience. The drawing was so funny. We haven’t thought to draw at home. It inspired us to play this with our daughters at home.’

‘Great afternoon. Lovely to watch the children showcase their work. Thank you.’

‘Lovely afternoon with so much wonderful work from all the children. The performance was brilliant, the children have worked so hard. All thanks to all staff involved, for us to enjoy this afternoon and take part.’

‘Thank you for a lovely afternoon-we love to have the chance to come and share in Henry’s learning and to see what he is doing. Loved the dance and also the chance to visit the class. Thank you!’

‘Really enjoyed the dancing, the kids worked really hard. Doing the portrait of each other was great fun.’

‘Great coordination and timing in the dance moves as a group.’