By Paula Briggs

The day after Trump and Zelenskyy stunned the world with their televised argument in the Oval Office, AccessArt ran a “Constructing Positive Social Stories: Acts of Kindness” workshop session at the AccessArt Lab.

The event was one of a number of “Artists & Teachers Exploring Together” sessions, devised by AccessArt to give us an opportunity to think about some of the more philosophical issues behind art education. By working with artists and educators who are open to holding ideas lightly, we hope to collaboratively discover new arts educational approaches and activities, transferable to a variety of settings.

The idea behind this particular session was to explore how we can use making as a tool to help us focus more closely on the positives which surround us everyday, no matter how small. By creating a shared space for making and conversation, we hoped to lift spirits and create a sense of shared experience.

This post shares the session aims, some of the conversational highlights, and observations of the workshop attendees, and my own as facilitator. Thank you to all who attended, and for your generosity.

“A timely workshop this Saturday morning led by AccessArt. Reflecting individually on our own experiences of small kindnesses, and then choosing from a table of materials to abstractly or literally depict these, prompted conversation that magnified the acts beyond their original intent. The joy of creating by hand alongside others, of talking and making sense whilst sculpting and glueing, of sharing in stories of the smallest of acts that had made a difference to someone else… about people feeling seen, loved, heard. I left feeling lighter, more hopeful about the world, and with more generosity towards other drivers on my journey home.”

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<<Explore Other Olympic Themes

Explore the project below to help pupils consider how they might design trainers based on either Olympic Athletics.

Trainer Design

Aim: To introduce pupils to shoe design with a focus on athletics and trainers. Pupils will get the opportunity to explore innovation and design through drawing and making.

Step 1: Introduce in Sketchbooks

Begin by introducing pupils to trainer design with the “Talking Points: Trainer Design” resource. Show them a series of videos which aim to prompt discussion around innovation, design and environmental implications of shoe design. Invite pupils to create “Visual Notes” in their sketchbooks inspired by what they see.

Step 2: Drawing and Sketchbooks

Place a trainer on each table. Invite pupils to create their own “Folded Sketchbook” and set them drawing challenges by adpating the “Using a Folded Sketchbook to Get Drawing” using the shoe as the subject matter. For each different drawing exercise swap the shoes around.

Next, invite pupils to make annotations and adjustments to their drawings based on any invented shoe technology they would like to add to their trainers.

Step 3: Making

Use air-dry clay to create trainers using the “Shoe La-La” resource. Bring in trainers as inspiration for the clay shoes. Use some of the techniques from the last step to build up the shoes.

Or..

You may like to try creating “Sculptural Modroc Shoes” instead. Ask children to bring in old trainers, or pick up some from charity shops to use at the base for new trainer designs. Make additional features by creating small armatures and incorporating them into the shoe design.

Step 4: Reflect

Use the resource here to help you run a class “crit” to finish the project. 

Invite children to display the work in a clear space on tables or on the wall. Recap with them about the exploration – where they started, what they discovered and what they enjoyed.

If you have class cameras or tablets, invite the children to document their work, working in pairs or teams.

Materials:

Trainers as subject matter

Sketchbooks

A2 Paper

Drawing materials

For Shoe La-La:

Air-drying clay

Rolling pins

Burlap/hessian mat

Wooden battens

Tools for clay

Clay Slip (mix a lump of clay with water to create a creamy consistency and store in a jar with a sealed lid)

Acrylic Paint

PV Glue

For Sculptural Modroc Shoes:

Modroc

An old trainer

Acrylic Paint

Extra materials such as lollysticks or newspaper to make armatures

PVA glue

Adaptations:

You could look into shoe design for sports that don’t require trainers, for example dancing shoes or winter sports shoes.

Explore Other Resources in Athletics:

Making Medals

Sporting Sculptures

Sportwear Design

Explore other olympic themes

history

Values

ceremony

A collection of imagery and sources designed to explore trainer design.

Please note that this page contains links to external websites and has videos from external websites embedded. At the time of creating, AccessArt checked all links to ensure content is appropriate for teachers to access. However, external websites and videos are updated and that is beyond our control. 

Please let us know if you find a 404 link, or if you feel content is no longer appropriate.

We strongly recommend as part of good teaching practice that teachers watch all videos and visit all websites before sharing with a class. On occasion there may be elements of a video you would prefer not to show to your class and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure content is appropriate. Many thanks.

*If you are having issues viewing videos it may be due to your schools firewall or your cookie selection. Please check with your IT department.*

This resource is free to access and is not a part of AccessArt membership.

Trainer Design

Explore the resources below to start discussions based on design, innovation and the environmental implications of trainer design.

Golden Trainers

Questions to Ask Children

What are the features of these track shoes?

Do you like the gold shoes? Why?

What colour would you like your trainers to be if you were an Olympian?

Tinker Hatfield: Footwear Design

Find highlights of the documentary by exploring the suggested clips below:

Innovation: Predicting Needs for the Future

• Minute 7:41 – 11:23

• Minute 16:00 – 18:45

• Minute 24:36 – 26:20

• Minute 36:36 – 38:00

Working with Athletes

• Minute 19:33 – 24:36

• Minute 27:33 – 29:04

Questions to Ask Children

Which shoe did you like the best? Why?

How can trainer design help with sports performance?

If you could invent some shoes right now, what would they do? Who would they be for?

Sustainability

Find out how manufacturing trainers impacts our environment.

See how design innovation can provide solutions to ease the environmental impact of shoes.

Questions to Ask Children

In pairs, invent some sustainable alternatives that you could use to replace the toxic chemicals used in the production of trainers, e.g. fabrics made from grass – get creative with your inventions!

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AccessArt Olympic resources

Explore projects to celebrate the 2024 Olympics

Visual Notes

Find out how pupils can respond to artists work in sketchbooks

Show me what you see

Enable close looking and drawing with this exercise

<<Explore Other Olympic Themes

Explore the project below to help pupils create a sculptural figure inspired by Olympic Athletics.

Sporting Sculptures

Aim: To introduce pupils to the work of sculptors and painters inspired by human form with a focus on athleticism. Pupils will get the opportunity to create figurative drawings and develop their work through to sculpture.

Step 1: Introduce

Begin by introducing pupils to the sculptures made by Rosa Serra, commissioned for the Seoul 1988 Olympics, with “Talking points: Rosa Serra“.

Invite pupils to create “Visual Notes” in their sketchbooks inspired by the information they see.

Use “Drawing Source Material: Athletes in Action” material for pupils exploring the human form during sports. In the first instance you might want to pause the videos as suitable points to enable the children to carefully look at the main forms and details.

Encourage close and slow looking by talking as they draw – use your voice to attract their attention to features of the athletes.

Invite pupils to draw what they can see in their sketchbooks. See “Show Me What You See” to find out how to run the guided session.

Step 2: Drawing and Sketchbooks

Start the session by introducing choreographer and painter Serge Lifar to pupils using “Talking Points: Serge Lifar“. Use the questions to prompt discussions about how he captures moving forms through line and colour.

Follow on by using the “Exaggerating To Communicate” resource to help children draw from life, and explore how we might use exaggeration as a tool to help us convey the intention of our drawing. Invite children to get into a position relating to a sport they like or they saw in the Drawing Source Material above. You might like to introduce props.

Step 3: Making

Follow on by adapting the “Plinth People” resource, inspired by the work done so far.

Invite pupils to think about a movement they would like to capture in their sculptures and whether this is reflected in a particular sport.

Encourage pupils to think about how they can bring exaggerated form, colour and shape to their sculptures.

Step 4: Reflect

Use the resource here to help you run a class “crit” to finish the project. 

Invite children to display the work in a clear space on tables or on the wall. Recap with them about the exploration – where they started, what they discovered and what they enjoyed.

If you have class cameras or tablets, invite the children to document their work, working in pairs or teams.

Materials:

Sketchbooks

A3 Cartridge Paper

Drawing materials

Watercolour

Soft wire

Wire cutters

Plaster for the plinth

Cardboard

Scrap fabric strips

PVA glue

Adaptations:

If you are working with younger children and would prefer to use modroc instead of clay you can adapt the “Friendship Tower” resource.

Explore Other Resources in Athletics:

Making Medals

Sculptural Sneakers

Sportswear Design

Explore other olympic themes

history

Values

ceremony

<<Explore Other Olympic Themes

Explore the project below to help pupils discover Ancient Greek architecture inspired by Olympic History.

Ancient Greek Architecture

Aim: Pupils will explore Ancient Greek architecture through sketchbooks, collage and sculpture.

Step 1: Introduce in Sketchbooks

Consider asking pupils to make an Olympic project sketchbook using one of the “Making Sketchbooks” resources.

Begin by introducing pupils to the first ever Olympic stadium in Olympia with “Talking Points: Olympic and Paralympic Stadiums“. Use the questions to prompt discussion.

Follow on in sketchbooks with a drawing activity, exploring architecture using “Drawing Source Materials: Ancient Greek Architecture” as a drawing prompt.

Invite pupils to create drawings inspired by the source material using the “Show Me What You See” method. You can find a case study for this method inspired by Anglo Saxon architecture which will need to be adapted.

Step 2: Drawing

Adapt the “Houses From Around The World” resource to create textured collage drawings inspired by Ancient Greek Architecture. Invite pupils to look at the range of marks and lines made in sketchbooks in the previous session and build upon them.

If you would like to focus on making skills you may like to skip this step.

Step 3: Making

Create Sculptures with Personality inspired by the “Sculptures with Personality, Inspired by anglo Saxon Houses” resource.

Making “sculptures” rather than “models” enables pupils to grow their ideas in individual directions, using the architecture of Ancient Greek buildings as a starting point.

Step 4: Reflect

Use the resource here to help you run a class “crit” to finish the project. 

Invite children to display the work in a clear space on tables or on the wall. Recap with them about the exploration – where they started, what they discovered and what they enjoyed.

If you have class cameras or tablets, invite the children to document their work, working in pairs or teams.

Materials:

Sketchbooks

A3 cartridge and newsprint paper

Drawing materials

Making Materials: Card, Corrugated cardboard, Coffee stirrers, Lolly sticks, Twigs, Toothpicks, Wire (various thicknesses for structure and binding), String, Withies, Hessian, Calico, Felted Wool

PVA Glue

Pliers

Scissors

Glue Guns

Adaptations:

You could invite pupils to create sculptures inspired by a modern Olympic stadium.

Explore Other Resources in History

Making Medals

Sportswear Design

An Olympic Poster

Explore other olympic themes

Athletics

Values

ceremony

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Pathway: Using Art To Explore Global Issues

This resource is features in the ‘Using Art To Explore Global Issues’ pathway

Drawing Source material: ice

Talking Points: Drawn To Antarctica

Mini world Lightboxes

<<Explore Other Olympic Themes

Explore the project below to help pupils consider how they might create a collaborative sculpture inspired by the Olympic Values or Ceremony.

Friendship Towers

Aim: To introduce pupils to the ethos of the Olympics and create a body of work in response. Pupils will get the opportunity to practise their making skills and will go on to create a collaborative sculptural piece based on the Olympic values.

Step 1: Introduce

Begin by introducing pupils to the Olympic and Paralympic ethos and the 3 values Friendship, Respect and Excellence with “Talking Points: The Olympic Ethos“. Watch the videos and invite pupils to create “Visual Notes” in their sketchbooks inspired by what they see and hear. Prompt discussion using the questions.

Step 2: Make

Using the “Prompt Cards for Making” as inspiration, devise your own challenges for the children such as…

“Make something which represents friendship.”

“Make a team of things.”

Step 3: Continue Making and Sketchbooks

Decide whether you would like the friendship tower to celebrate the values through an exploration of nationalities, athleticism or the opening ceremony performance.

Use “Drawing Source Material: Ceremonies and Celebrations” to explore the performances, costumes and national teams in the Olympic ceremonies.

Or if your class is using athletics to celebrate the values then explore the videos in “Drawing Source Material: Athletes in Action“.

Invite pupils to draw what they can see in their sketchbooks. See “Show Me What You See” to find out how to run the guided session.

Follow on by using the “Friendship Tower” resource, inspired by the work done so far.

Invite pupils to think about a position of their figures. Are the sculptures waving to the crowd? Performing a dance? Playing a sport together? Invite pupils to think about what the figures are wearing and how that reflects who they are and what they do.

Step 4: Reflect

Use the resource here to help you run a class “crit” to finish the project. 

Invite children to display the work in a clear space on tables or on the wall. Recap with them about the exploration – where they started, what they discovered and what they enjoyed.

If you have class cameras or tablets, invite the children to document their work, working in pairs or teams.

Materials:

Sketchbooks

A3 Cartridge Paper

Drawing materials

Making Materials: Card, Coffee stirrers and/or lolly sticks, Twigs, Foam board, Toothpicks, Wire, String, scrap fabric etc

Soft wire

Wire cutters

Plaster for the plinth or wooden base, and a stick

Modroc

Acrylic Paint

Adaptations:

Ensure you adapt the content to align with the focus of the project, ie. Ceremony or Values.

You might like to focus on designing clothing, using the sculptures as mannequins. Incorporate and adapt “Fashion Designs with Painted and Decorated Paper“.

Explore Other Resources in Values:

Mascot Design

Making Medals

An Olympic Poster

Explore other olympic themes

history

athletics

ceremony

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. Look at foods from different religious ceremonies.

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.

If You Use AccessArt Resources…
You might like to…

Join our Facebook Group

Join the AccessArt Network group on Facebook and ask questions of others using our resources

Share and Tag

Share photos of work made by tagging us on social media

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Heavy/Light Mobile – Drawing and Making

Coat-hanger Shells

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