By David Allen.

In this Drama and Art series, teacher and Associate Professor David Allen explains the different ways in which drama and art intersect, and how the two subjects can be taught together to foster skills in creative thinking, communication as well as nurture an awareness and appreciation of art.

David has worked in primary schools for over twenty years as a teacher, senior leader and Deputy Head teacher. He now works part time as an Associate Professor in Learning and Teaching at The University of Hertfordshire. 

Drama Activity 1: An Art Conversation

The aim of an art conversation is to help children to look closely and examine what is in front of them to really see what is going on in the painting, encouraging them to notice things they may otherwise miss. As teachers, we can take children on a tour of the artwork, giving them time to search beyond the surface. A powerful, well known, approach is to suggest they imagine stepping into the painting to explore what is there. All of this results in a rich dialogue between the children, their peers and the teacher. By sharing their thoughts openly and actively listening to each other, children develop their visual literacy and art appreciation skills.

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Pathway for Years 5 & 6

Disciplines:
Sculpture, Painting, Drawing, Collage, Sketchbooks

Key Concepts:

• That art can help us focus on, and explore, big issues. By looking at the artwork of others, and by making our own artwork, we can feel empowered to explore topics which might otherwise be overwhelming to us.

• That by working alongside others on a similar project we can feel a shared sense of purpose. We can feel supported and understood.

• That we can bring many disciplines together (including drawing, painting and sculpture) into one artwork.

In this pathway children are enabled to begin to recognise that they are able to make an individual creative response which will be different to that of their peers, but one which comes from the same starting point and share a similar message. They learn that all artwork, however it is made and by whom, will be valued, and that each piece can contribute to a larger shared artwork. 

As children progress through the school, they are enabled to use and further develop the knowledge and skills learnt so far, and bring their personal likes, dislikes and experience to a project, working towards being confident creative decision makers. 

By using a variety of media and techniques, all children are enabled to explore and succeed.

The projects featured centre around an exploration of global warming and ice worlds, but this pathway can easily be adapted to explore other global issues such as deforestation or weather patterns. Change your source material accordingly.

Try to make sure you leave time at the end of the project for a discussion over the global issue to emerge, based upon the artwork.

Theme: Climate change, Landscape, Habitats, Animals

Medium:
Drawing Materials, Modelling Materials (incl. Modroc)

Artists: Faith Bebbington, Frances Hatch, NOMINT

If you use this resource in your setting, please tag us on social media: #InspiredBy @accessart (facebook, twitter) @accessart.org.uk (instagram) and share the url. Thank you!

Additional Pathway

This pathway is an additional pathway to help you extend, develop or further personalise the AccessArt Primary Art Curriculum.

We suggest this pathway is used to replace a “Working in 3 Dimensions” (Blue) Pathway or a “Print, Colour, Collage” (Yellow) Pathway.

It works well in replacement of  the Set Design (Year 5 & 6) or Activism (Year 5 & 6) Pathway.

Please note the Modroc Polar Bear activities in this pathway are best suited to more confident teachers who are happy with a higher level of interaction with the work, and more able or experienced pupils.

You may also like to use the activities in this pathway with a smaller group of children in an after school club or community context.

Teaching Notes

Find the MTP for this pathway here.

See the recording of the Zoom CPD session exploring Modroc.

Curriculum Links

Geography: Climate zones, North & South Hemispheres

Science: Animals, Predators/Prey, Environmental changes.

PSHE: Supports Responsibility to the planet, Collaboration, Peer Discussion.

I Can…

• I have explored the work of artists who use art as a way of drawing attention to global matters, and I can share my responses with the class.

• I can use my sketchbook to record and reflect how the artist’s work makes me feel.

• I can use my sketchbook to make drawings, working from still images, videos and from life, demonstrating close looking and drawing. I can use these drawings to inspire my sculpture.

• I can make a sculpture of an animal, understanding that by working in 3d my sculpture will be seen from different viewpoints.

• I can explore and experiment using “Design through Making”, and I can discover how I can transform and construct with different materials to make my sculpture.

• I have seen how my own sculpture can form part of a larger artwork, and how we can all find inspiration in each others’ ideas.

• I can explore painting and collaging using colour mixing and different surfaces and see how the materials respond to each other. I can create an environment for my sculpture.

• I can present my work as part of a larger artwork, and I can share my response to my own work and also to the work of my peers.

Time

This pathway takes 6 weeks, with an hour per week. Shorten or lengthen the suggested pathway according to time and experience. Follow the stages in green for a shorter pathway or less complex journey.

Materials

Soft B pencils, Charcoal, Acrylic Paint

Construction Materials

For Ice Worlds

Fruit Crates, A variety of paper, Making Tape, PVA glue

For Polar Bears

Modroc sheets, Newspaper, Plastic bags, Masking Tape

Pathway: Using Art To Explore Global Issues

A PDF of this pathway can be found here.

• Aim of the Pathway

  The aim of this pathway is to give children the opportunity to understand that art can be used to enable an exploration of important issues which affect us all. Through drawing and making, and through looking at art made by other people, we can build our understanding of the issues involved, and make a creative response to share with others.

• Week 1: Introduce
  

  Look and Draw

  

  Introduce pupils to a stop-motion campaign about the effects of melting ice with “Talking Points: A WWF Campaign“. Find out how ice was used to create the animation and discuss the impact of the campaign.

• Drawing in Skethbooks

  

  Continue the session by exploring “Drawing Source Material: Polar Bears“. 

  Refer to the first section of the”After School Art Club: Drawing, Collage, Painting and Sculpture. (Part 1)” resource to help you guide the drawing session. 

• 
  

  Find Your Focus

  Choose between whether you would like to create sculptures of polar bears or if you would like to make 3d ice world landscapes. For less experienced teachers we would recommend following the Ice World resource.

• Week 2/3/4/5
  

  Option 1: Create an Ice World

  Begin by introducing pupils to the work of artist Frances Hatch through “Talking Points: Drawn to Antarctica“. Use the questions to prompt discussion and feed into sketchbook and 3d work.

  Explore colour, form and texture in a playful way. Working in small groups pupils will create a 3d interpretations of an “Ice Worlds“.

  If you have time at the end of week 5, add some of the drawings made of Polar bears in week 1 to the ice worlds.

• Week 2/3/4/5
  

  Option 2: Build a Polar Bear

  Introduce pupils to sculptor Faith using the “Talking Points: Faith Bebbington“.

  

  Invite children to create “Visual Notes” documenting what they notice about the artists work.

• Week 3: Build
  

  Creating Sculptural Forms

  

  In this session pupils will be creating a sculpture of a polar bear using either plastic bags or newspaper and tape. Refer to Part Two of “After School Art Club: Drawing, Collage, Painting and Sculpture. (Part 1)“.

• Week 4: Introduce Modroc
  

  Using Modroc

  

  Once the forms are complete, invite children to cover them in modroc. See “How to Use Modroc” to find practical advice about how to use modroc, or refer to our our recorded Zoom CPD “Exploring Modroc“.

  Use Section 3 of the “After School Art Club: Drawing, Collage, Painting and Sculpture. (Part 1)” for extra support.

   

• Week 5: Paint
  

  Paint the Polar Bears

  

  Finish off the polar bear sculptures with some paint. Explore part 4 of the”After School Art Club: Drawing, Collage, Painting and Sculpture. (Part 1)” resource to see how you can use and adapt the session in your classroom.

• Week 6: Share and discuss
  

  Share, Reflect, Celebrate

  

  End the pathway by taking time to appreciate the developmental stages and the final outcomes in a clear space.

  Depending upon the project option chosen, display the work appropriately including having open sketchbooks. Use the “Crit in the Classroom” resource to help you. 

  Encourage children to reflect upon all stages of the journey, and reference the artists studied. 

  If available, children can use tablets or cameras to take photographs of the work.

  Explore how children can take high quality photographs of 3d artwork with this resource.

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AccessArt is a truly digital organisation – we have no offices and all team members work remotely. It’s been SO long since we met up in person, and it was fantastic to meet up with the Trustees and the team members who could make it for two days in York. 

We reach our 25th year with nearly 23,000 members and over 38,000 subscribers, and the conversation was far reaching, insightful, celebratory and ambitious. We’re excited for the years ahead. If you are already part of our journey thank you, and if not please find out more about how we are celebrating 25 years and join us! 

Paula Briggs, Co-founder, CEO & Creative Director
AccessArt 2024