School Visits

School Arts Partnership

The School Arts Partnership project runs as part of the Sky funded National Trust discovery package.
 
The project links two contrasting schools with their local National Trust Property and each other. Working with National Trust learning staff and professional artists, students take part in specialist arts-based projects that interpret the built heritage of the property.

The programme aims to:

• Promote cross-community links between pupils and families of different cultural, ethnic and social backgrounds
• Encourage a sense of ownership of our heritage and countryside properties by local communities
• Encourage new audiences into the arts and heritage field
• Support the national curriculum and the wider social curriculum with interesting, relevant and enjoyable activities
• Develop a wider appreciation of our built and natural heritage among school pupils
• Around 30 National Trust properties are involved each year. The pupils get an average of 6 visits to the property, and there is a celebration event at the end of each project to invite parents and other school members to view the work created.

At Bath Skyline, they have created a project called ‘Sculpture in the Landscape’ involving pupils from Combe Down Primary School and Ralph Allen Secondary School working together to produce two complementary sculptures with environmental artist Julie Starks. One sculpture is made using willow, and other using mud and turf. One feature of the project is that the older children will act as mentors for the younger children, supervising and guiding them, particularly in the field work.

Peter Breese, head of the Art Department at Ralph Allen School, said “It is a fabulous project; it is a real privilege to be able to take part. It ticks all sorts of boxes, not only in terms of the National Curriculum but also in personal development. You just can’t do this in the classroom.”

Adrian Smith, a teacher at Combe Down Primary School added “It is great to work with another school because we all come at it from different angles and it is really useful to share ideas. It is brilliant for the children because they have used lots of different design techniques but they are also putting it in the context of the history and nature of the landscape.”

Plas Newydd in North Wales was host to a very partnership with two local secondary schools - one Welsh speaking and one English speaking. Year 10 pupils worked with composer, Owain Llwyd, Percussionist, Dewi Ellis Jones and instrumentalists from the University of Wales, Bangor to create pieces of music in response to the property. These compositions were then performed at the property to an audience of other pupils from the schools, families, National Trust staff and Lord and Lady Anglesey who still live in Plas Newydd. Susan Mason, Project Coordinator, says of the pupils involved; “For many, this was their first visit to a National Trust property, and their visits helped inspire them to created some fantastic artwork and music.”

At Ormesby Hall in Middlesbrough, two primary schools worked together to design twin free-standing sculptures in clay, to represent the themes of friendship, freedom, diversity and acceptance, and equality as part of the bi-centenary of the Abolition of Slavery. These sculptures were then made in robust metal, and installed in each school’s garden. One of the pupil’s commented; “I enjoyed doing clay, and I liked looking around Ormesby Hall.”

For further information about contact:
Alex Murphy, School Arts Partnership Coordinator: 020 8986 0242 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it