Clapgate Primary School working in partnership with Leeds Arts Gallery

“Clapgate Primary School is now in its fourth year of a successful, working collaboration with Leeds Art Gallery. This began at the end of 2019 when there was a strong need for children to have access to art but unfortunately this was not possible due to later lockdown restrictions. I contacted the educational lead at Leeds Art Gallery, Amanda Phillips, who arranged a ‘virtual’ session with a local artist, Nichola Pemberton, with a focus on abstract drawing with a Year 3 class. The children explored mark-making using a range of different materials, in particular scissors. They were encouraged to cut into their drawings and make new compositions challenging their ideas and beliefs about the potential of art and what it could look like. The children had the opportunity to learn new and exciting ways of working and to ask questions of a professional artist.

In November 2021, Year 5 visited Leeds Art Gallery to take part in a workshop where they heard a piece of sound art created and produced by professional artist, Harold Offeh. The children got to ask him questions about his work in a ‘virtual’ reflection session back at school. Harold came to school to work with the year 5 children and used sound recording equipment to record their ideas on their ‘Future Predictions’ for the future of the city of Leeds and their own futures. The sound recordings were then taken away and put together by Harold and their final sound art clip went on display in the Lyons Gallery alongside Harold’s then current exhibition. Parents and children were notified of this work being on display and were invited to go and visit the sound art clip at Leeds Art Gallery. This was a very proud moment for the children and parents involved in this project.

In December 2022, Year 5 visited Leeds Art Gallery to work with professional artist, Michael. They had the opportunity to see Michael’s installation of moving images called ‘Cleave to the Black’ which was part of the Jerwood Awards 2022. Year 5 were able to explore the different gallery spaces and look at a variety of landscapes and were encouraged to record their ideas and reflections using ipads and sketchbooks. On return to school, the class were then introduced to working on a large scale and creating gestural, expressive drawings in the hall space by educational lead, Amanda Phillips. This was then followed closely with a drama workshop led by a local actor, Lladel Bryant, and a poetry workshop led by local poet, Abdullah Adekola. The children created a ‘pop-up’ art gallery in the large hall to showcase their drawings and parents and children were invited to school to come and see their work.

Recently, Year 5 were involved in Leeds 2023. They visited Leeds Art Gallery and worked with two local artists, Saba Rifat and Kedisha Coakley, in response to viewing Sonia Boyce’s ‘Feeling Her Way’ exhibition. The children took part in a print workshop and geometric sculpture session and there is a plan in place for the artists to come to our school to talk to the children about their work in a future assembly.

The collaboration between our school and Leeds Art Gallery is one which is mutually beneficial. The experiences and process of working with artists both local and professional have encouraged creativity and risk taking. Children have had opportunities to reflect on skills learnt and this in turn has developed their confidence and enjoyment in art.”

- Kirsty Webster, Specialist Art Teacher at Clapgate Primary School

Here’s the pupils in action!

Working in the hall space to create large, expressive drawings: