WINNERS - Neal Foundation Art Competition 2017 – Art in Geography

RESULT REPORT.

Five schools took part in this year’s Competition. Viewings were completed by 14 July with this Results Report being sent to participating schools and Mr. Moulsdale on 26 July.

THE DECISION – using alphabetical order where appropriate.

Joint 1^st place – Drapers Mills Primary Academy School

- Garlinge Primary and Nursery School

2^nd place – St. Saviour’s C of E Junior School

Joint 3^rd place – Palm Bay Primary School

- St. Anthony’s Foundation Special School.

The result shows how difficult it was to separate the schools into the five possible positions. Combining first and third places proved to be the fairest solution. Judges used two broad criteria to assess the exhibitions. Were the children acquiring an understanding of location and place, human and physical geography, as well as practising geographical skills and experiencing field work? Were they able to demonstrate this knowledge using a variety of art techniques and media?

Drapers Mills. Art Co-ordinator = Gemma Comber. Judge = Marion Hitch.

This school’s exhibition was set up along the broad and light corridors of the main building along with other connecting areas. Each area had its own particular ‘look’ and atmosphere, yet the bright, crisp presentation style gave a sense of unity to the whole exhibition. The wall board displays were full of fascinating work, with the corners and window sills hosting 3D models, an interactive game and table-top displays. Of particular help were the neat labels attached to many displays stating the Year group, the topic, the learning intentions, attainment targets and any cross-curricular links. The contribution each display was making towards the Competition theme was very clear for the judge but would be equally useful for any lay person viewing the exhibition.

The range of geographical learning on display was extensive and – being in the corridors – was available to all pupils. Geographical vocabulary abounded throughout the exhibition via a wealth of large well-written labels. Another attractive feature was the very pertinent links to other curriculum areas.

The range of art media and techniques employed to illustrate the geographical learning was just as extensive with evidence of skills developing across the year groups. Year 1 immersed themselves in different papers cutting, sticking and shaping them to create 3D triangular pockets representing woodland environments. Vegetable prints festooned the world map of food production. Year 2 set clay models of African and UK homes on aerial photographs of an African village and a UK urban area – very original. Their backing papers to their work on the Great Fire of London were fierce and raging in their vicious fire colours. Year 3 delved into felt making to portray the awesome power and drama of volcanoes. Equally dramatic was their work on the cliffs of the Kent coast. Many sheets of white paper had been scrunched, folded, re-folded and cleverly manipulated to represent the crumbling and unstable chalk face. Every sheet had been covered in some sort of black marks to indicate fissures and other rocks. Year 4 learned how to make screen prints over collaged paper for their Bem Bom project. They also designed theme park rides, making prototype sculptures from a range of materials before putting the final models into 3D maps. Year 5’s art was inspired by the symbols found on Mayan temples and pyramids. Their designs were drawn on to polystyrene with a needle, covered in ink and then pressed onto paper with a brayer. These prints were then used to cover a multitude of boxes built into a large model of a temple in the corridor – an imposing structure that required significant planning and co-operation. Year 5 also drew attention to the scourge of deforestation in South America by making clay models of the endangered tree frog, also decorated in the Mayan patterns, displaying them in a hostile environment to emphasise their plight. Year 6 used compasses to direct themselves around the school pond, making drawings of what they saw and collecting natural materials as they went. The drawings and the materials were then used to make collograph plates, resulting in individually framed prints hung in a shadowy corridor where the bold, strongly coloured early prints complimented the delicate later copies. Perhaps this year group’s most telling contribution were the wire fish sculptures. After constructing the fish body from wire, the pupils then filled the cavity with representations of the plastic waste that pollutes their environment and invades their bodies. Using art to persuade a change in human attitude and behaviour is a skill these pupils have now acquired for their own future.

I thoroughly enjoyed the company of my escorts and particular thanks go to my photographer. There was an air of understated pride and confidence about this exhibition – a legacy that is going to filter through into the coming year.