FUTURISM IS OURS!
We currently have an exhibition of work by children who attended the St. Teresa Summer School, based on the Russian Futurism exhibition at the Hatton Gallery.
Felicity Langthorne, Claire Rowlands and myself ran the Summer School along with Ann Harrison and Helen Robertson from 23-26 August 2007.
At first I wasn’t sure what to expect from about 20 potentially unruly kids running amok armed with squirty pva and modrock so I was pleasantly surprised when the only minor contest that they had was in trying to come up with the title for the exhibition!
It seems a rose-tinted cliche to say this but it really was a joy to work with these kids who were all so keen and vibrant… and well behaved, but then if this is a cliche, I’m all for them!
I tried my best to keep up with the kids in what they made, making things alongside them as well as helping them but they were so fast! I was really impressed with the quality as well. I caught myself thinking, ‘I wish I’d done that one’, ‘and that one’!
Their works include wooden spoon puppets based on the costume designs of the futurist opera ‘victory over the sun’ and black and white charcoal and foam collages based on Russian Futurist Lithographic prints seen at the Hatton Gallery – these are all on display at the Gallery now.
I take my hat off to Ann Harrison for leading the Summer School – she was consistenly brilliant. And to John Harrison, the headmaster of St. Teresa’s School for running such a great place.
And to all the kids who attended the Summer School who made it all so enjoyable.
Edwin
