By Genevieve Rudd

In this post, Genevieve takes us through the history of Anthotype photography and demonstrates how we can create our own Anthotype prints using natural, handmade emulsions and sunlight.

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AccessArt is a UK Charity and we believe everyone has the right to be creative. AccessArt provides inspiration to help us all reach our creative potential.

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Pathway: using natural materials to make images

This is featured in the ‘Using Natural Materials to Make Images’ pathway

Talking Points: What is a cyanotype

Talking Points: Anna Atkins

Fearful For The “Lost Generation” Existing In An Anxious Society Who Need to “Catch-Up”?

Breath. We can step outside the “fear breeds anxiety breeds more fear and more anxiety” cycle.

We have a powerful tool at our disposal to help heal, build confidence and empower. Our own Creativity.

Let’s not perpetuate the “lost generation” myth. These children are unique but not lost. The more we sell the message of the lost generation, the more we perpetuate fear and anxiety. Instead of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of the “lost generation” let’s be brave and create a “nourished generation”.

We have fingers, heads and hearts. We have senses and emotions. We have imaginations. This generation does not need to catch-up to where they would have been – that is going backwards, instead they need to be enabled to leap forwards through hands, heads and hearts and explore their place in the world, supported by families, teachers and schools who tell them it is safe to do so. Let’s make primary schools a place where creativity can be supported and nourished and children can be enabled to discover their ability to transform the world about them.

We are more creative as a species than we are currently led to believe. Intrinsically, inherently, creative. We need only look back at history to see that, and we value it as an adult skill and yet still many teachers in many schools struggle to find time to invest in the creativity of their pupils without huge effort or apology.

We do not need to worry that it is an either OR scenario. Enabling these children to spend time exploring their creativity will NOT detract from their ability to succeed in “academic subjects” (and that term is a whole other conversation). Quite the opposite; schools where creativity flourishes demonstrate that motivation, ownership of learning and outcomes in other subject areas flourish too. This is not fuzzy thinking where we create a cossetted world full of play and fun (though why not?). Creative thought and action is hard work; you have to be brave to explore, think really hard, learn new skills, battle with materials, take risks, put yourself on the line, figure out what you think, express yourself, share with others, change the world. We’re talking about enabling people to be brave, positive, productive, and act for the benefit of society as well as for the individual. Don’t worry, it won’t be easy. Finger painting isn’t all fun you know.

Let’s switch the message we are telling our children. We are stronger than we perhaps think. If we create a dialogue around this generation of loss, we make them less then. Instead let’s use the power we all have – our creativity – to climb back up. Not catch-up – but catch-on.

So, let’s step back, take a breath, and create a nourished generation, lavished with time to draw, paint, print, make, build, photograph, write, dance, make music and most all – be empowered to explore the world and produce our own creative response. Teachers too.

Thank you to all the teachers in school who know how important creativity is to pupils, and who work long and hard to provide stimulating creative opportunities for their pupils 🙂

Inspirational Case Studies

What did my child make with their hands this week?

Planning a creative curriculum

AccessArt Exemplar & progression Plans

Creativity Connects, Empowers, Transforms

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Pathway: 2D Drawing to 3D Making

This is featured in the ‘2D Drawing to 3D Making’ pathway

Talking Points: Packaging Design

What is Typography

To coincide with The Human Touch, an exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, AccessArt has collated a collection of resources to help pupils and teachers explore the sense of touch in making art. 

The exhibition explore how we use our hands to leave traces, make art and symbolise emotion and intention. The resources below can be used as starting points to explore ideas about our sense of touch in the classroom or studio.

Drawing & Mark Making

Making “Feely” Drawings

See the Resource

Nest

See the Resource

Doodle Ball

See the Resource

Drawing Like a Caveman

See the Resource

Painting with Plasticine

See the Resource

Hands, Feet, Flowers

See the Resource

Clay

Quick Clay Sketches

See the Resource

Sensing Form

See the Resource

Making Mini Food

See the Resource

Painted Clay

See the Resource

Fruit Pinch Pot

See the Resource

Beyond Clay

Hand Casts

See the Resource

Worry Dolls

See the Resource

Paper Bowls

See the Resource

Wave Bowls

See the Resource

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drawing source material

Visual notes

using a tablet

dressing up as a fossil

drawing in the dark

impressability project

Dance and Drawing

shadow puppets

shadow puppets and whiteboards

cpd recordings: Disciplines and pedagogy

all recorded cpd sessions

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DOWNLOAD THE ACCESSART PROMPT CARDS PDF

prompt cards for making

teenagers make their own prompt cards

Anatomy of a pencil

Drawing in a museum or gallery

cpd recordings: Disciplines and pedagogy

all recorded cpd sessions

The Progression Plan for Making below, is taken from our more comprehensive Progression Plan here.

Click on the image below to launch the PowerPoint, and then click on the photos within the PowerPoint to link to resources. Please note the resources included are for suggestion only, there are many more resources available on AccessArt. 

See This Resource Used In Schools…

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Pathway: Stick Transformation project

This is featured in the ‘Stick Transformation Project’ pathway

By Jo Blaker

Sketchbooks are powerful tools. Enjoy these three videos in which Jo Blaker shares why sketchbooks have secret powers.

Sketchbook Powers Number 1 & 2

Secret powers numbers 1 and 2: Jo describes how sketchbooks can be a door into a hidden world, and a place to explore what you feel like as a person.

Sketchbook Power Number 3

Secret power number 3: Sketchbooks can be a weapon; a weapon you can use to fight boredom, ease anxiety, and find gratitude.

Sketchbook Power Number 4

Secret power numbers 4: Sketchbooks can be a laboratory – a safe place to experiment, test and discover.

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Finding marks through artists

thoughtful mark making

drawing clouds and mark making

Typography for children

Monoprint with Oil Pastel

Flat Yet Sculptural making

Making Sculptural Wild Things

cpd recordings: Disciplines and pedagogy

all recorded cpd sessions

See This Resource Used In Schools

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Pathway: Typography and Maps

This is featured in the ‘Typography and Maps’ pathway

Pathway: Cloth, thread, paint

This is featured in the ‘Cloth, Thread, Paint’ pathway

Session Recording: Finding Marks Made by Artists

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mark making and sound

Painting the storm

Drawing to a metronome

Drawing in the dark

Inspired by Miro

a cheerful orchestra

Sketchbooks and Performance

cpd recordings: Disciplines and pedagogy

all recorded cpd sessions

Lluis shares how and why he designed and built an electric wooden bike.

Instagram: lluisthewoodworker

A fabulous session-just the right length and so clear and inspiring-I know what I will be spending my day doing tomorrow.

It really was the perfect CPD, a combination of excellent modelling, an opportunity to have a go ourselves and excellent signposting of how to use the skill. The decision to make these sessions 30 minutes is also a fabulous idea. As well as being a brilliant addition to my subject leadership it was also such a welcome relief to do something so enjoyable in these trying times!

AccessArt is excited to announce we will be starting a series of creative drop-in zoom sessions for AccessArt members, to help bring AccessArt ideas to life! Find out more below about how you can use these sessions, and find a list of dates and themes here. 

These sessions are recorded and available for members to access after the event. We also create resource pages from the content/themes explored. Find the resources and recordings of past events here. 

In the Studio with AccessArt

AccessArt runs an ongoing programme of drop-in creative zoom sessions for AccessArt members. Sessions will:

• Aim to bring to life through practical demonstration a particular skill, process or idea

• Last just 20 to 30 minutes, making it easy for you to fit into your day and absorb new ideas

• Link to an AccessArt resource so that you can then share the idea with your audience (learners of all ages)

• Members will be able to access the event from a link posted on the events page near the time of the session, (the webpage will be behind the membership wall). Simply login as a full AccessArt member and join the zoom.

• Watch or Participate: Before each session we will let you know what materials you need to try the activity. You can watch the demonstration and hear the ideas and processes brought to life, or you can have a go along side – it’s up to you. There will be time for questions after each activity and we will share how you can use that activity in a variety of contexts. 

The sessions are aimed at:

• Teachers, facilitators, educators of all ages – use the sessions to develop your own personal creativity or as short CPD to develop your teaching skills and understanding

• Learners aged 16 upwards – use the sessions to develop your own creativity

• Parents of children of all ages

Browse our timetable of up and coming sessions and join us wherever you live. Attendance is open to full AccessArt members. All times are GMT. 

Questions? email info@accessart.org.uk