In S2/3 pupils are encouraged to experiment with and manipulate paper and card, using simple shapes and repetition as well as paper construction techniques such as cutting, slotting, folding and bending in order to learn skills which could lead to other areas of design such as jewellery, textiles and fashion, product design (lamps, clocks, wall hangings)or more expressive pieces such as ornamental garden furniture or sculpture. These simple yet complex paper constructions in effect provide a pathway for future development and creative expression and are in no way prescriptive. They encourage individuality and ‘thinking outside the box’.
Amongst this gallery of artworks by various year groups there is evidence of real design competitions which demonstrate enterprise and confident individuals rising to real life challenges. The Schuh Design Challenge is an annual event including over ten neighbourhood schools within West Lothian and which the staff and pupils of St Margaret’s Academy welcome. Other recent competitions include the Kilim rug design hosted at Howden Park Centre, the first and second prize winners, pupils from St Margaret’s Academy. Then there was Livingston’s 50th Anniversary celebrations where schools were invited to produce artworks with no specifications or Design Brief. Pupils produced fantastic self-portraits then manipulated these using Adobe Photoshop CS2, further developing them into posters befitting the competition. Again several of the artworks were selected for exhibition in Howden Park Centre. Atkinson (2011)describes ‘the notion of risk taking put forward by art educators in order to promote creative and individual approaches to learning (see Swift and Steers, 1999). The idea of learners being encouraged to take risks in their specific learning contexts suggests a pedagogy that is not totally controlled by specific learning outcomes. It suggests a flexible teaching-learning space that attempts to accommodate unpredictable or unexpected directions in learning’.
An unexpected direction in learning arose when a Glow meet was hosted by West Lothian Council and David Bachelor, a Scottish artist living and working in London. Approached by Laura Compton and Margo Kerr, Learning and Teaching Development Team (ICT) my pupils became involved and were soon engaged in a ‘live’ chat with Bachelor and several other schools and art institutes throughout the country. Bachelor discussed and displayed his work then opened up dialogue between himself and his audience. Pupils became instantly engaged and posed many relevant, thoughtful questions about his work and methods. This Glow meet was a great success and resulted in pupils producing both classwork and homework which was inspired by Bachelor’s colour and lighting. Ruled by the bell and the end of the period the session was ended but Bachelor had been keen to discuss his work further with my pupils as they had been so involved and interested.
Atkinson, D. (2011) Pedagogies Against The State. Initial thoughts about Learning Chapter 1. In Art, Equality and Learning: Pedagogies Against the State. Rotterdam, Sense Publishers
