New Eco Schools Workshops with Art.Works and Touchstones

It might have been all quiet on the blog front but rest assured, the keys on this keyboard have been going like the clappers, all in the name of art!

Last week was an exciting week for Art.Works as we got ourselves in gear for the next school year. Thanks to the extraordinarily generous Education Co-ordinator at Touchstones, Rochdale, Art.Works will soon be featured in their school's programme! Karen Vine, Touchstone's Education Co-ordinator said she was 'looking forward to adding a new eco dimension to the schools programme', not as much as I am Karen!

I've been busy creating innovative workshops to inspire pupils to engage with art, drama and even a bit of eco warrior-ism, all in 2 new ninety minute workshops. From April schools can book, through Karen at Touchstones, the Art.Works sessions 'Fruity Fairtrade' and 'Re-work it'. They will enjoy hands on workshops in the inspiring surroundings of Rochdale's impressive heritage centre, Touchstones. The sessions will be a snip, at around £68 each (this price will be finalised later in the month).

So, to any environmentally aware teachers out there, it's a great opportunity to get out of the class room and into the museum of inventive disarray (that's the Art.Works sessions, not Touchstones in general!)

Celebrating Book Week With Bowlee Primary

What do you get if you mix 60 place mats, 60 felt picnic lunches, 60 cat masks, 10 table clothes and 60 T-shirts? a very big lunch of course! and that's exactly what Browlee Primary created last week during National children's Book Week.

Kicking off with an interactive performance of 'The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch', there was no shortage of pupils willing take centre stage and become characters from the tale. From the industrious Mr Grinling, polishing his lamp and sweeping the deck, to Mrs Grinling, the most dextrous baker near the seven seas, pupils lit up the story with their animated acting skills. But let's not forget those pesky seagulls, what, you might ask, does a hall full of pupils screeching like seagulls sound like? music to my ears of course!

Pupils then sprung into action taking part in drama games and arts activities with Art.Works. On Monday Reception children painted the bobbly side of the broccoli to create inspired place mats. Year one were transformed from kids to kittens creating funky cat masks to prowl around the school in. We created some scrummy picnics with year two, crisps, cakes and sumptuous chocolate bars, unfortunately they were carved from felt, not too tasty then!

Key stage two pupils shone brightly as they continued to make and create on the theme of The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch on Friday. Year three's wonderfully wooly 3-D fruits looked good enough to eat. year four printed the perfect picnic blankets to display Monday's felt foods on. They designed their printing block, cut their stamp and formulated a pattern, what a gifted and inventive bunch!

And it seems Brimrod Primary might just be harbouring Britain's fashion designers of the future. Year 5 swapped the studio for a sweatshop as they designed and printed nearly 60 T-shirts illustrating key characters from the lighthouse Keeper's Lunch.

What productive pupils, what cheerful staff and, of course, what an amazing adventure. Art.Works couldn't be happier after celebrating Book Week with Brimrod , so thanks to all who took part, and remember, next time you hear a seagull, just whip out the mustard...