The Globe Primary School, Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets
This was an almost three week extravaganza of 3D art workshops tailored to suit each class and with lots of materials the pupils and teachers hadn’t used before. The results are now displayed around the school and are colourful, sculptural and exciting to look at. The school was used to film the TV comedy Catastrophe in, so lots of the work has been on screen too.
The youngest children drew around their hands and cut them out of terracotta clay, pressing patterns and textures in. These were made into a mobile that now ‘sings’ when moved by a breeze.
‘The art around the school looks fabulous, it can be seen art is so important at Globe, and makes it a better place.’
Nicola Lennon
Art Co-ordinator and Class Teacher
Other young ones made figures inspired by Antony Gormley’s Field for the British Isles. It was great to see them enjoying clay so much.
Other classes made stoneware ceramic portraits of each other, clay buildings that stand alone, African painted Modrock masks, modrock painted figures inspired by Giacometti and some older pupils made a huge figure inspired by Henry Moore.
‘I love art, working with artists is one of my favourite things.’
Pupil Year 5
‘This year I volunteered at Globe School working with the children to create their version of Henry Moore’s reclining figure. The children seemed to enjoy the challenges presented by the method of weaving plastic bags through chicken wire. A fiddly job! The final piece looked fantastic and even better it was made out of recycled materials.’
Sara Savage
Project Volunteer
‘The children are filled with enthusiasm and excitement whist taking part in the art projects – it’s great!’
Year 3 Teacher
We organised contemporary potter and throwing expert Alice Mara came in to teach Yr 6 how to throw and they all threw a pot. The next day they then decorated their pot with appendages and slips and scrafitto, inspired by Picasso’s body pots.
‘The children at Globe Primary School had a fantastic time throwing pots on my wheel. Most of them hadn’t done it before, and their eyes lit up when they got their hands on the clay. Every child managed to produce a pot first time round, and it was lovely to see how they had added little extra clay hands and body parts onto the pots afterwards with Maud and the team.’
Alice Mara
Potter