Bow Arts worked with every class at Osmani Primary in the 2019/20 academic year to provide practical art sessions as part of the school’s PPA cover. Six artist educators worked as Artists in Residence across the year to deliver dedicated art projects referencing class topics and developing the progression of pupils’ skills.

Amy Leung worked with Year 5 and 6 in response to their topics. Inspired by the book Journey to Jo’burg and African textiles, Year 5 looked at printmaking, dyeing techniques and the work of Nike Davies Okundaye. They designed and used paint, batik and dye to create their unique textile pieces.

“Knowledge and understanding was built through linking topics and cultures to artists and how they have drawn upon situations in their practice and how we could try and do the same.”

• Amy Leung, Lead Artist

Year 6 explored their topic London in Danger by considering the contemporary danger facing London in the form of Climate Change. They focussed on the work of Olafur Eliasson.  Together they created prints made from ice and powder paint pigments and designed their own floating architectural solution to the risk of London flooding due to rising sea levels.  In small groups they made these into models exploring the future of our built environment.

“I have learnt about climate change – it needs to stop.”

• Year 6 pupil

Jasmin Bhanji led sessions with children in Year 1 and Year 2. The Year 1 topic was Light and Dark and the children explored how to create images and characters through interactions with light as shadow and performance. They looked at the work of William Kentridge and his use of light and dark in the performance of a procession. They created small hand-held cut outs and larger scale hats which they performed with in their own shadow procession.

Year 2’s topic was Fire and Ice and children experimented with unconventional and traditional drawing and painting materials to create fire and ice themed work. They explored the work of performance artist Joan Jonas and her interest in the powerful emotional content of natural phenomena such as ice flow and volcanos. Like Joan Jonas – the children looked for inspiration from the natural world including a coral called Fire and Ice.

“I have. Learnt to draw coral and paint with ice. It was interesting because I didn’t know you could draw with ice.”

• Year 2 pupil

Rebecca Griffiths worked with Year 1 and Year 6 with a sculptural focus. The Year 1 topic was Houses and Homes and they were introduced to architecture through looking at London buildings and identifying the shapes, features, materials and function. The group observed the materials used in the school and playground, taking rubbings to record the different textures. They used drawing and collage to create buildings inspired by the ones they had observed. The children learnt about different 3D construction techniques using cardboard, straws and wood and worked together to create their own 3D buildings.

“Pupils developed knowledge and understanding of buildings, materials and construction.”

• Rebecca Griffiths, Lead Artist

The Year 6 topic was Olympians, so they looked at Ancient Greek pottery and learnt about shape, decoration, function and form. They took inspiration from the Ancient Greeks in designing their own pots using paper templates and collage, before creating it in clay. They used the coil technique to build their pots and learnt lots of ways to construct, decorate and refine their 3D design.

“Pupils learnt how to create coil pots and developed their making skills throughout the day.”

• Rebecca Griffiths, Lead Artist

Debs Hoy delivered sessions with Year 3 and 5 with a textiles focus. The topic for Year 3 was Where in the World? and they were looking at the work of artist Kenojuak Ashevak who made brightly coloured prints of Inuit symbols and motifs including animals and plants. The children created their own design and did mono-prints on to paper and then fabric. Children were encouraged to repeat designs and consider pattern and colour within their piece.

“I learnt about African textiles and the three types of them: batik, print and weaving.”

• Year 3 pupil

Year 5’s topic was Circle of Life and they were focusing specifically on Viking shoes. They looked at the history of shoes and the changes that had taken place over time before designing and creating their own Viking-inspired shoes. The children drew around their own feet to create templates, cut hessian fabric and added soles. They learnt basic running stitch to sew their shoes and added embellishments with sewn on buttons and embroidered motifs.

“Most of the class had never sewn before and their work showed that everyone learned how to do running stitch, and some children accomplished zig-zag embroidery stitch and sewing on buttons.”

• Debs Hoy

Outcomes from all the workshops will be displayed in the school to share and celebrate the creative achievements of the children.