Art in the open air
Wednesday, 26th May 2004
A collaboration of professional artists, photographers, sculptors,
engineers and designers have flocked to Thurrock to help bring children
and their parents away from the school environment to discover green
spaces in new and exciting ways.
Open Air, a series of art-based projects in primary schools, has been
organised by Thurrock Council's Arts Generate with the help of lottery
funding and local community forums*.
ˇYear 5 children (ages nine to ten) from Warren Primary School,
Gilbert Road, Chafford Hundred, have been busy working with their
parents and sculptors to design 6ft tall, colourful and quirky
sculptures. The designs are based on the plant and wildlife of The Gorge
at Chafford Hundred and are being translated into metal frames by the
artists and added to by the children.
ˇCorringham Primary School's after school club and parents have been
producing images of man made and natural sites with the help of a
professional photographer and BP, Corringham. Block carvings will be
produced by a sculptor and the group to add to a trail of seats
featuring endangered indigenous species at Westley Heights.
ˇDesigners and engineers from the Ford plant at Dunton and Thurrock
Music Services have joined forces with children from Stanford-le-Hope
Junior School to make kites. They will develop their own music that
reminds them of kites and the skies they fly in.
ˇA huge wind vane is coming to life in Grays and proud children from
Thameside Infants School are working with a performance artist and poet
and a sculptor to produce a performance of poetry, rhythm and movement
for the local community. They will be joined by Grays Brass Band and The
Afro Centre - a local performance group promoting African arts and
culture.
Notes to
Editors
Notes to Editors:
MEDIA INVITATION
Members of the media are invited to Warren Primary School's
workshop at The Gorge, Devonshire Road, Chafford Hundred on Friday,
28 May at 1.30pm where there will be interview and photo
opportunities.
Further opportunities for press and broadcast interviews and
photographs for the other projects will be advised.
*The community forums that have contributed to and supported the
project are Corringham & Fobbing (aka CF2), Stanford, Orchards and
Chafford Hundred.
ARTISTS' SUMMARIES:
Corringham Primary School - John Knock is a young photographer, born
in Essex, with commercial experience who has worked closely with Box
Clever, a cross-arts education company based in London that works
with young people. In his own work he produces landscapes that show
the marks and traces of people's everyday lives.
Michael Khumalo, sculptor, moved to Basildon five years ago from
Germany. He grew up in Malawi and learned his skills from artists in
Zimbabwe. He has sold and exhibited privately and internationally.
More recently he has worked with a local arts group, Artstart, as a
volunteer on community and educational projects. He carves stone and
wood imported from his homeland and his work strongly evokes his
culture.
Thameside Infant School - Isha Mavinga-McKenzie is a highly
experienced poet, live artist and storyteller who uses her African,
Caribbean, and UK background to develop awareness of the world
community. Isha has experience of working with a wide range of
community and educational organisations. Most recently Isha worked
on Arts Generate Thurrock's project A Different Light.
Darcy Turner, furniture maker trained at the London College of
Furniture, now turned sculptor, makes fabulous constructions from
paper and metal using lo-tech equipment of his own devising that is
easy to access by people of most ages and abilities. He has
extensive experience of work in community and school settings.
Stanford-le-Hope Junior School - Jon Pendlebury, Alan Thorley,
Simon Robinson - This team of engineers and designers from Dunton
Development Unit at Fords are experienced Ambassadors for Science
and volunteered for this project as part of Ford's Community
Relations programmes.
Music Staff from Thurrock Education Music Services with teaching
experience and professional development skills.
Warren Primary School - Robert Worley is an Essex-based sculptor
who graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1995 with an MA
degree in sculpture. He works part time as a project artist for Free
Form Arts Trust, an environmental art company based in London. He
divides his studio time between sculpture commission work and artist
residencies. Recent projects include a sculptural children's play
area for Wembley Hospital and design consultation work for The
Peabody Trust in Kings Cross.
Natasha Carsberg works in metal with a strong sense of the organic
and the resulting sculptures show the conflict between the natural
and the man-made that occurs in the landscape of the 1990's. She has
exhibited and made work for private and historic gardens including
Blicking Hall, Michelham Priory, Burghley House and Hylands Park.
Natasha began working with community groups and schools in the last
two years and is currently attending the CP Creative Practitioners
course in Norfolk.
Deborah Fryer is a newly qualified local artist working in mixed
media who has a close working relationship with Warren Primary
School. Her input will be funded from other sources, but working on
Open Air is seen as a professional development opportunity.
Performers - Thameside Infant School: Artists from The Afro
Centre, Basildon. A local performance group promoting African arts
and culture set up by Sol Ogundipe.
Corringham Primary School: Musicians recommended by Thurrock
Education Music Services
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