Response

Works-in-progress Exhibition and Winter School

Read more about this exhibition. See the artists' entries in their journals for the Third Phase of residencies following these workshops.

Kids’ Own and partners held an exhibition and workshops at the Millennium Court Arts Centre in Portadown during week of 26 January, 2005.

This mid-project exhibition showed works in progress done by CR..E.A.T.E. artists in Response to working with students and teachers on the project. The artists had a chance to reflect on what they had experienced, and tie it more closely to their own practice. In presentations and workshops, teachers had an opportunity to display how they had brought the theme of linen to life in all areas of the curriculum.

Teachers and artists from new schools attended in order to get an introduction to the project. Nicola Show, a teacher involved since 2003 at Strandtown PS in Belfast advised how you really had to through yourself into it, to get the most from it. A new artist, David Kinane, described how he was looking forward to leaving his well-established bronze work to lead into the exploration of using new technologies in his own practice, and learn alongside the children.

The passion and excitement of all the participants was apparent. Children from selected regional schools also attended. They went to each display, having the chance to work with two artists on an activity. They worked with linen, photography, movement, paper and drawing.

Heather Lynch, a researcher on Arts & Social Inclusion from the University of Stirling attended to observe and document the event. She was impressed with the work, and is looking forward to returning to the project, and having the chance to observe at least two schools involved in the project.