A series of urban texts
Can an exploration of contemporary art enhance KS2 children’s writing skills and vocabulary?
With a clear vision of setting out to improve Key Stage 1 children’s confidence in speaking and listening activities, Forest Park Primary invited word artist Chris Lewis-Jones (Nottingham) to help devise a series of activities that would draw children into entertaining / engaging exercises aimed at developing vocabulary. Additionally, with a view to opening up perspectives on contemporary art, this seeks to raise children’s and teachers’ cultural awareness of contemporary (installation) art. Towards these combined ends, this project will seek to make full use of school space, local green space, and will refer to cultural institutions in the city, and beyond. At the outset of this project, the schools’ co-ordinator mentioned ‘It’s all very new, we’re open to be fun’. And with that, we head into the unknown.quite whacky stuff.
Aims
* To nurture children’s delight in words To enhance their understanding and appreciation of speaking, listening and literacy
* To generate ideas that will culminate in ‘striking works of art’
* To introduce participants to/enhance their knowledge and understanding of contemporary art in general and installation art in particular
* To provide the time and space in which to consider the ’ wider picture’
(i.e. culture/s and identity/ies)
* To introduce to the rudiments of ensemble percussion
* To provide the opportunity for students and staff to assess their learning and to come up with ideas for new schemes of work /creative projects in the future
CPMD ID – 9259