5P showed true resilience in facing new challenges and daring to innovate as they explored the emotions and stories captured in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. 

Persevering to refine their modelling skills, they first made plasticine and clay vases and pots. They learned that they had to mould and roll the clay evenly to create stable and even pots and felt rightly proud of the outcomes.

Maze or labyrinth

The children began by exploring the challenges posed by mazes and labyrinths. Labyrinths present the adventurer with a certain and potentially mindful route creating feelings of calm or perhaps entrapment. In navigating a maze, the adventurer faces choices, dilemmas and uncertainty requiring bravery to overcome anxiety and danger. They used different materials to create their own; in some cases it was best to work systematically but often it was exciting to imagine perilous twisting and turning journeys. 

Their outcomes were the result of days of hard work in mapping out the walls, dead ends and loops. They then rolled newspaper to create the walls and used papier maché to secure them. The process was fiddly and messy: it took quite a while so well done to everyone. Finally they experimented with different shades of colour by gradually adding black to their chosen base colour. The children accentuated the depths of their labyrinths with acrylic paint by using darker and darker shades as the adventurer got closer to the centre. Take a look at the dangers the hero faced along the way!

Hero or monster

The children finally created artwork to depict the hero or monster that inspired their maze in the style of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The chaotic colours of the background portrayed tormented minds and courageous spirits using acrylic paint and the angular figures were added in chalk pen.

At the Arts Fortnight celebration, 5P shared their experiences of mazes and monsters with their families. They impressed us all with how they had been able to master new skills, using these to create such energetic pieces.