PRIMARY PUPILS ENTER THE ART WORLD
Nottingham-based installation artist Chris Lewis-Jones feels that he has struck artistic gold working with 52 Year 2 pupils at Forest Park Primary School in Cobridge. Using contemporary art to enhance learning across the curriculum has been ‘outstandingly successful’ – so much so that examples of the children’s work are to be exhibited at Airspace Gallery, in Broad Street (Stoke on Trent) in May. Chris, who has worked and exhibited across the UK and beyond explained:
‘This is without doubt one of the most enjoyable commissions I’ve undertaken. As their work shows, the children at Forest Park have been creatively incandescent!’
The project has been funded by Creative Partnerships. Creative Agent Wayne Thexton said:
‘Working with Chris has presented teachers and pupils with many new ideas. Their responses have been fantastic. Pupils aged 6 and 7 have been using the kinds of professional artistic language that many adults would struggle to keep up with. This speaks highly of what is possible with the right kind of challenge’.
David Bethell, founder member of AirSpace Gallery added, ‘It has been really great to bring these kids into the gallery, their work highlights and develops the outreach aspect to our venue’. Forest Park’s Deputy Head Pat Macbeth added, ‘Working with Chris has brought a whole new dimension to the children’s experience and perception of art and artists. The children have found this project to be inspirational in terms of both language and art.’
The exhibition, ‘A Series of Unlikely Urban Texts’, previews on May 8th (7:00-8:30pm) and runs from May 9th-13th.
for further information contact
Chris Lewis-Jones/ Oldknows Studio Group
[email protected] Tel: 0115 9785671 / Mob: 07877 989213
