‘This allowed them to escape’: Children react in awe as world-class art visits their classroom
Around 60 children were able to interact with the work and explore activities, as part of Art UK’s project, The Superpower of Looking, in partnership with the Sainsbury Centre’s learning programme.
Children engaging with Yinka Shonibare's Hybrid Mask (Baule/Yaure). Photos by Katherine Mager.
The Superpower of Looking is an innovative and inclusive programme that seeks to transform the visual literacy skills of primary school children across the UK, taking the world of art and images as its starting point.
Workshops inspired by the painted pattern on Shonibare’s Hybrid Mask (Baule/Yaure), were led by associate artist of the Sainsbury Centre, Ian Brownlie. Pupils created print blocks with interpretations of motifs they had seen in Shonibare’s work, using these to print their own cloth with the same colours that Shonibare had used.
Ian spoke about the reaction from the children, saying how there were “Gasps of awe, enthusiasm, excitement and joy”.
The Sainsbury Centre believes that art is alive, and that it has the power to teach us, that we can learn from the works which usually sit unmoving in a museum setting.
Class teacher Gill Sek, said: “The smiles on their faces showed what a positive experience it was for all who took part. We have several children in this year group who lack confidence and sometimes worry – this allowed them to escape.”
Many of the children felt inspired to go home and carry on the activities: “I’m trying to make my own one at home out of clay”, said Kenny.
The Sainsbury Centre welcomes numerous school groups every year, but for some a visit is not possible, so online resources such as virtual galleries, digital twins of the artefacts, and 3D printed models, have been developed to support access to the collection within the classroom. To bring the object to the students, takes this endeavour further, bringing it physically into the classroom.
Learning programme manager at the Sainsbury Centre, Becca Sturgess, said: “We have always developed our programme based on the needs of our participants, and being in the classroom really deepens our understanding of how the pupils experience art currently, and what we can add to this. I believe that welcoming us and one of our artworks into the school will increase the children’s sense of ownership of the object and by extension of our whole collection and remove one of the barriers which they may feel about visiting the art museum.
“We are grateful to ArtUK for the opportunity to take an artwork from our collection to a school on the edge of our region. It has been wonderful to be able to use this opportunity to continue to explore how the Sainsbury Centre Collection can be used as a resource within the classroom.”
Find out more about Hybrid Mask (Baule/Yaure), by Yinka Shonibare, here.
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