Big Arts Week Wales Seeks 250 Artists

Artists in Wales are being asked to draw on their creative talents and volunteer some time to help inspire local school children during Big Arts Week Wales 2006.

Big Arts Week Wales is a unique project that promotes the arts by matching artists with schools for one week in June. Artists work with the children on a creative project for anything from one hour to one week. Run by national volunteering charity TimeBank, Big Arts Week Wales helps children to discover the arts and discover something new about themselves through art. This year’s Big Arts Week takes place 19-23 June.

Alison Parry, Big Arts Week Wales Coordinator said: “Last year 60 artists took part in Big Arts Week Wales. This year, Big Arts Week aims to work with many more schools in Wales and needs 250 artists from a range of creative backgrounds and regions to take part. ‘Artist’ is defined in its widest form: writers, designers, musicians and actors are all welcome. The week is always a wonderful event for schools – teachers and artists work together and the children have a fantastic time. “

Since Big Arts Week began in England and Wales four years ago, over 8,500 schools and 4,600 creative professionals have taken part, resulting in over 150,000 young people being engaged in the arts.

This year’s Big Arts Week is running in Wales only and is supported by Welsh poet Gillian Clarke and musicians Goldie Lookin’ Chain.

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For more press information and images contact:

Lou Clifton, Press Officer

T: 020 7785 6388

M: 07977 219629

E: l.clifton@timebank.org.uk .

For further information on Big Arts Week Wales and to register visit www.bigartsweek.com or call 0207 785 6393.

QUOTES FROM PREVIOUS BIG ARTS WEEK WALES ARTISTS

“I have had two good years with year five children in Cardiff. I found the children and the teachers very eager, they were like sponges! I only hope a few of them end up being professional photographers because they showed excellent ideas. And were quite inventive!” Jeff Goodwin, Photographer - CARDIFF

“Over a period of three days I worked with the pupils of Coed Clas Primary School. The focus was the school's emblem, 'roots to grow, wings to fly'.  Using printing techniques, fabric paint and appliqué, I made a wall hanging which now has pride of place in the school hall.

“The pupils printed leaves and used fabric paints to create 'mini-beasts' which was in keeping with what they were learning at the time.  The teacher's assistant worked closely with me and together we produced a very successful piece of work which all the pupils felt part of. I am currently a secondary teacher trainee and felt this experience secured my decision in wanting to work with children. 

“It was exceptionally rewarding to work with such imaginative staff and such creative children. The wall hanging exceeded my expectations by far! I was exhausted at the end of it, but had a real sense of achievement.”  Jacqui Munnoch, Visual Artist - CARDIFF

“We (I took a painter friend with me) went to Llansawel school last year had a great time. I showed the children books on buildings and we sketched the buildings in their village. They made plan drawings of their homes. Then we made a mural type collage of their drawings. I think and hope it opened their eyes, and showed them how to look at buildings and their environments generally, it helped to give a special awareness, which on the one hand is something that is all around us and we take for granted and on the other very few of us can actually visualise! We also looked at what buildings are made of, and what they do to our environment.” Katherine Jones, Architect - CARMARTHENSHIRE

“I had the exciting and fulfilling experience of working with Ysgol Griffith Jones in St Clears. The project was to create brightly coloured banners to hang in the hall of this community school. We used the children’s plant and animal drawings to compile three designs, which were painted by them using fabric paint.

“The staff were supportive and enthusiastic and students keen to get involved. The whole school celebrated the completion of the banners and the outcome of other artistic activities throughout the school with a special open evening, at which I was invited to talk about my experience and thanked warmly for my contribution.

As an artist I was inspired by the children’s work but the outcome was achieved through team effort.” Carole King, Mixed Media Artist - CEREDIGON

“After the initial meeting with the school, a collaboration developed between the Art and Drama departments of the school in creating four theatrical backdrops for a production called 'Midsummer Mystery' taking place on the final day of the week. Using descriptions supplied by the Drama department, I created the outlines for each backdrop, which the students then painted and brought to life. Each backdrop was assigned to a different year group, who came to the art department on different days. 

“I became involved with Big Arts Week because it offered me the chance to gain experience working with children. I had previously been involved in running a couple of workshops but they had only been for short periods of time. Here was an opportunity to work for a whole week with a school and develop a workshop, which would last for a whole week. I have to say that I was very happy with the results.”

Gareth Hacking, Arts & Crafts - CONWY

"I decided to sign up for Big Arts Week and last June had the opportunity to work with Ysgol Frongoch, a primary school in Denbigh. Based on a theme of pattern, we produced a silk painting that looked both amazing and wild. The experience of being able to see the project right through from start to finish was very rewarding. In addition to the children participating as a group and having the opportunity to use an unusual medium, I was able to get to know staff and pupils on a more friendly basis and raise my profile as an artist within the community." Beverly Belshaw, Textile Artist - FLINTSHIRE

“I think Big Arts Week is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of using art as a means of expression in the classroom. As they say, 'a picture says a thousand words’!” Debbie Ashton, Arts & Crafts - GWYNEDD

“I worked with Ysgol Aberdyfi with nine children aged seven to nine. We had a fantastic time making 'beach-art' out of found objects built into a huge sandcastle and then took photos of each other and the beach-artwork. The pupils then painted pictures and wrote stories about the day and the beach and each made an A2 poster collage out of all their work. These were displayed on the wall at the local village hall and received much acclaim.

“We got lots of publicity and I met local people that I did not know before. It was great fun and I really enjoyed the time I spent with the children - the head teacher was fantastic and enthusiastic about promoting art.” Jean Napier, Photographer - GWYNEDD

“I had a great Big Arts Week with the pupils at Whitton Aided School and we worked out a very artistic way to celebrate Big Arts Week by producing an Illuminated book with the help of BookBod, our mascot.

“As Whitton School was set up over three hundred years ago, we designed a project to celebrate the long tradition of local community education using art in both a traditional and digital manner, creating a picture of the school's history to the present day. It's still growing into an ever-larger 'Artists Book' every month - it may do for the next 300 years!

“There is great value in teaching pupils to culture a creative outlook, whether in arts, sciences or social studies and we hope the positive results from our Big Arts Week at Whitton will be to support both the emotional and economic growth of the country. There's no doubt that by helping pupils to evolve their creative outlook, Big Arts Week motivates hearts to think of the future in a more energetic and enlightened manner.” Jon Grant, Designer – Knighton - POWYS

“I worked for two days at Abertillery School, with my fellow textile artist Margitta (who is raring to go again with me on another Big Arts Week project)! We had a great time joining in with an existing school project. Our brief was to make 30 African-inspired costumes in two days with a group of 10-11 year olds. We were made very welcome by the teachers and staff and had a wonderful time; we were invited to their Cultural Festival party and saw the work we had helped to produce, and had the chance to meet the other artists and musicians who had also taken part.... all very worthwhile and tremendous fun.” Jan Winstanley and Margitta Davis, Designers - POWYS

"Being involved in the Big Arts Week was a great opportunity to make new contacts with local schools. I was able to help the school I was partnered with create a dance piece for their end of year performance. I had a great day with the children encouraging them to create their own material and then helping them shape it into a performable piece." Nikki Neale, Choreographer - SWANSEA

“I have been involved in two Big Arts Days and have found them both to be extremely rewarding. Last year I visited a primary school in Gresford. I took along my portfolio and some ink and paper. It was really exciting to see the children’s response. They really enjoyed meeting a “real artist”! Their comments gave me a different insight into the work and the processes that I use. We had such a lot of fun inking up the tables and making monoprints. The teachers at that school told other teachers and this was really useful in raising the profile of the print centre locally as we often work with schools.” Steffan Jones-Huges, Printmaker - WREXHAM

Notes to editors:

TimeBank is a national campaign inspiring and connecting people to share and give time. www.timebank.org.uk

Big Arts Week has the support of a whole host of artists, musicians, designers and writers including Peter Ahrends, Helena Bonham-Carter, Deborah Bull, Gillian Clarke, Harry Enfield, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, Antony Gormley, Wayne Hemingway, Anish Kapoor, Julian Lloyd Webber and Ben Okri.

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