Wolverhampton Art Gallery has engaged a creative professional, Jefny Ashcroft, to open students’ eyes to the world around them, to learn how the built environment has influenced the lives of the people who have lived there, and to raise their aspirations of their local area.
Madeley Academy on their high street visit in Wolverhampton © David Ashcroft
Jefny is working separately with a year 10 art GCSE class from Ercall Wood Technology College in Wellington, Telford; and a year 9 class studying for a BTEC first certificate in construction at Madeley Academy, Telford. Both groups have begun the project with a workshop in Wolverhampton, but at the start of 2010 will be taking this learning back to their local area.
Both Ercall Wood Technology College and Madeley Academy are working separately with Wolverhampton Art Gallery as one of the many partnerships participating in the 2009/10 Engaging Places network.
Picturing Wolverhampton
The task at the Wolverhampton workshop was to create a photo map of the high street. Students were asked to look above the shop fronts and read the building architecture - when was the town hall built? Why does the bank’s exterior have a decorative frieze? Why have certain building materials been used? What are the social implications?
As they walked along the high street they took photos which they took back to the art gallery to create a map of their view of the street. A discussion was formed around: what are the ‘stories’ the stones have told us?
Wolverhampton Art Gallery © swissrolli, flickr.com
Grand ambition
Both groups then focussed their attention on Wolverhampton Art Gallery. The gallery was purpose built in 1884 and is a grand old building now with a modern extension at the back.
The students examined the gallery’s decorative architectural features and discussed how you could tell this building was originally designed to be a gallery if it contained no art. The students from Madeley Academy were particularly interested in the models and plans of the gallery and how the building had been developed – they now want to make their own models during the project.
The students from Ercall Wood Technology College were so inspired by the first visit’s exploration into art and architecture’s storytelling role, they are now trying to find a disused local shop to house an exhibition of their own art work which they will create during the project.
To find out how Stories in stone develops and whether the students achieve their goals visit the Engaging Places network section over the next few months. To find out what other partnerships and projects are happening in the Engaging Places network visit the article, The 2009/10 Engaging Places network.
Inspired?
Take a look at the following activities to do something similar with your class:
Hampshire’s Living History Museum activity sheets
Historical architecture and buildings glossary activities
