Welcome to the new sculpture4kids blog where we will be updating you with all of the latest, exciting competition news and updates.
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About Me
- Sculpture 4 Kids
- Initiated in February 2003 and granted charitable status in December 2003, Michele Bowman of the Robert Bowman Gallery, Duke Street, St. James's, created the Trust with the vision that sculpture should play a greater role in the school curriculum by encouraging school art departments to participate in a nationwide school sculpture competition.
8 comments:
Well, looks like I am going to be the first one to blog, which I guess is the way it should be! Welcome to the new RBG Trust Sculpture4Kids site. Now it's your turn - please let me have your comments, your ideas, your constructive criticism...........I want to know how you like the new format of the competition. If this is going to be the best school sculpture competition in the land, it's not going to happen without all of you!
I'm waiting.........
Oh dear, seems we have had a problem with our entry form not being able to download.... everything is now working so huge apologies to everyone. I know how frustrating it can be!
Still waiting for your comments........
ok, heres we go, my first blog! gosh - i hope its not too long............
working with such young children over the years has taught me many lessons- most have been learnt from mistakes, mainly by underestimating the children.
There is a fine balance between teaching and not teaching and it has been in the spaces where I have observed where the amazing stuff has happened.
‘play’ is a crucial part of the creative process with young children. To pour a load of junk onto the floor and allow them to play with it is invaluable. It became more important than verbal input and information about the topic, which was kept brief.
Its difficult to engage young children for long periods of listening time, so I learnt to be very animated with the materials and its great to see them get so excited!
Jack, who made the anglerfish, was playing with his box (which became the main body of his sculpture) and it was when he began swimming with it, opening and shutting it when he worked out what he wanted to make. He used some really sharp badge pins for teeth, so we decided that his sculpture was never to be played with. It was not a toy.
Most very small children will see anything they make that is 3d as a toy so as long as it is safe to play with that’s always been ok with me, it gives the art another dimension and furthers their experience of what they made, a bit like tasting the food they cook, the pleasure continues.
Parents and teachers were supportive here with research through the internet and library and news. Each week the children had learnt a little more about the topic.
Our school has ‘eco’ status so the topics have always fitted in smoothly with other lessons.
I always have a visual reference library. Pictures collected and sorted into plastic sleeves that can be used and are ok to get messy.
Health and safety is a controversial subject, (I’d love to know your thoughts about it). It is something that I feel, that can sometimes stunt creativity. There are so many worries about what the children are using and safety but I think the risks have to be measured carefully against possibility. as long as parents are consulted, they are incredibly supportive.
As the projects are hot environmental topics, the only bought material was glue – we could have used flour and water as one parent suggested but honestly, I couldn’t be bothered to faff about, so pva was on hand at all times as was masking tape and parcel tape which sticks stuff together brilliantly (but is not easy to cover).
It is very important to provide children with the right tools.
We spent too long with scissors that would not cut through cardboard so I would have to cut for them.
This changed when they had scissors they could use unaided. I bought about 15 sellotape snails so that each child had their own and I stuck them to the table with duck tape so that they could pull the tape and tear it without holding the snail down.
Drying space is always a challenge………
Space to make something big is a challenge too.
Having a sink close by is ideal but we didn’t so a bucket, towel, water and soap were kept close by to save glue-dripping children walking to the sink. The wet towel was then used to wash the floor.
we had mini dustpans and brushes and the children had a routine of clearing up which didn’t always work –so much mess and it can get really stressful!
So, I wish all who are entering this year the very best of luck and especially lots of fun. It’s a wonderful experience and great to see children shine in their own light.
Happy blogging!
Nicola Rowsell
Thanks Nikki, I'm sure this will be a HUGE help to other teachers - Nikki has been involving her school in the RBG Trust competition for 3 years now. Two years ago her school sent in a wonderful collection of sculpture for our Rainforest competition - their school art department has been lucky enough to win twice now! I'm sure if you have any questions to ask her, that she has not already covered, she would be happy and quite capable of answering.......
thanks for blogging Nikki and look so forward to seeing the children's efforts this coming year.
i think Marlow Infants 'sandygates' school may enter again but it might be without me - they have done lots of mini beasts in the past which have been great so i also look forward to seeing their entries.....
my position at the school has changed and i now have the opportunity to work in other schools. i have worked with primary children for such a long time, i feel the need for change and i am interested in working with secondary school children so if anyone can advise me here i would be very grateful!
and any questions about primary school children i will gladly answer......
Happy New Year to all of you out there! 2009...... wow, do you know we have been going since 2003!
This year's competition really does put us in the 21st century as we now are a fully integrated on-line competition! Once your entries are in and you have uploaded them onto the website, you will have a chance to vote on your favourites - the People's Choice Award. We will be going live with 'The Voting Game', so stay tuned, get those entry forms in and get working on those sculptures.
It's me again! I've been surfing like a crazy thing. If any of you teachers are a member of NSEAD (www.nsead.org) they have a wonderful page that could be of interest to you - http://www.nsead.org/primary/practice/materials.aspx.
Also really good blogging on the TES website if you have any questions needing answers.
Also check out the NSEAD magazine START or a great school magazine called FIRST ELEVEN.
Hi everyone and GOOD LUCK.
Well done Michele, for getting the sculpture competition going again. The pupils have really enjoyed this years title of mini beasts. Teaching in a secondary school to special needs and boys can prove really challenging. However sculpture can be a way in for pupils to express themselves, using a variety of mediums. As a teacher its good not to be too intimidated by pupils expressing themselves, especially using materials, not always expected in schools.
As previous winners of this competition pupils cant wait to know the new title and start their work. What interesting materials they may use or find at home, that would normally be headed for the dustbin.
I have even used previous titles e.g. CORAL REEFS, for GCSE clay heads, which in turn has inspired the mainstream school we have worked with.
thanks helen h sunnydown school caterham
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