A Spot of Imagination
Overview
Research
Creating
Curating
Exhibiting
Outcomes
The Children as Artists and Curators Project which resulted in the exhibition 'A Spot of Imagination' was funded through the Scottish Arts Council Cultural Co-ordinator project fund.
The purpose of the fund was to support Cultural Co-ordinators to develop projects which address the capacities described in the Curriculum for Excellence through their work with schools in conjunction with arts organisations or professional artists.
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Edinburgh’s Creative Links team work across all Edinburgh schools to increase and enhance participation in a wide range of cultural learning activities and to support teachers in delivering the Curriculum for Excellence through the arts.
The Children as Artists and Curators Project was an innovative venture conceived and instigated by the team which featured more that 100 children from five Edinburgh schools as artists and curators of their own work.
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Given an unprecedented level of responsibility and creative input a class from each school worked with professional artists, curators and cultural co-ordinators to develop their skills as both artists and curators resulting in a two site exhibition of an outstanding collection of their work entitled A Spot of Imagination.
The Curriculum for Excellence recommends that schools:
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“…Work in partnership with a wide range of artists and musicians, coordinators and organisations in culture and the arts who are able to enliven and enrich young people’s experiences and learning”
Building the Curriculum 1, Curriculum for Excellence |
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Each class visited a number of galleries to research their project. They explored how exhibitions are created from the perspectives of presentation and use of space to the curatorial processes of selecting and exhibiting a diverse range of art media.
The exhibitions, which ranged from the ceramics of Picasso to the artefacts of Ancient Egypt, also provided source material and inspiration for work back in the classroom. |
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The galleries visited were:
Each class had a choice of which artist they would like to work with and following class discussions, votes and debates, each class selected their preferred artist from a shortlist of dozens who had offered their services. The artist spent a total of four days working with children over a period of several weeks.
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Using a wide range of media and materials, pupils were supported and encouraged to explore their own ideas and develop creative work which they felt confident and proud to exhibit. |
The artists who worked alongside the pupils were:
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Two pupils from each school formed a panel of curators. This group made all curatorial decisions about which works to include in the exhibitions.
In the interest of fairness and to give the exhibition an overall cohesion each curatorial team selected work from a school other than their own.
Alison Chisholm, curator of the Travelling Gallery supported pupils with the selection process and guided the development of their curatorial skills to form the final exhibition.
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"I chose a model of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water. My model is tall and flowery and has six different sides of a cuboid" Alison, St Catherine's RC Primary School, p5 class | |
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Pupils suggested titles for the exhibition and chose 'A Spot of Imagination' as the most appropriate reflection of the project.
A Spot of Imagination was unveiled at two venues: The Travelling Gallery and the offices of Brodies Solicitors, Edinburgh who supported the project. The Travelling Gallery toured participating schools where pupils were able to share and discuss their work with the wider school community.
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"..We used wire, tape and string to make the skeleton of our penguin. We used wood for the base. We thought it out very carefully. We plastered the sculpture and we chose the textures because we liked the feeling of it...."
Lauren, Shannon, Emma and Natalie, Prestonfield Primary School, p5 class | |
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The Children as Artists and Curators Project provided the opportunity to develop several new areas of work for the Creative Links team, in addition to a new perspective on visual arts programmes:
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- To create a new way of looking at the artist in society and the role of arts professionals
- To introduce the concept of curation and visual awareness
- To encourage a new perception of visual arts organisations/buildings and the role of the audience/viewer as participant
- To encourage democratic participation by children in a new way
- To encourage schools and others to look at new areas of collaboration, new skills and ideas
The project has been a reflection on the Curriculum for Excellence both in terms of the Expressive Arts Curriculum and in the creative development of successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors and artists of the future.
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"The project helped the children's confidence - they felt very professional and proud. It gave them a chance to use things they couldn't normally get, things that I've never seen pupils get access to in 35 years of teaching. We've never had professional artists work with pupils in this way."
Barbara Wilson, Craigroyston Primary teacher | |
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The schools involved in the project were:
- Prestonfield
- St Catherine's RC
- Westburn
- Craigroyston Primaries
- St Nicholas Special School.
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A DVD of a spot of imagination is availaible to view. | |