Contains Art - Artists' studios and Exhibition Space

Education

Within this rapidly changing world, we at Contains Art are passionate about delivering a range of creative and artistic opportunities for the children and young people of West Somerset and beyond. The arts, in all its forms, holds a powerful ability to intrinsically motivate young people, enabling the acquisition of skills such as resilience, problem-solving and innovation. These skills are high in demand, so to meet our future needs we must prioritise creative learning to give children and young people the opportunities they deserve.

Whilst our gallery doors are closed, we continue to offer a range of opportunities for schools to get involved with.

Currently we are working with schools to examine culture and creativity in a post-covid world, using the arts as a vehicle to considering positive futures. The process will widen young people’s cultural capital, whilst building their engagement and connection to a much broader variety of creative career possibilities. Students will work alongside artists and creative professionals to co-create of a series of post-Covid creativity lesson boxes, designed to both complement and extend children’s knowledge, understanding and skillset beyond the National Curriculum, responding directly to the social opportunities revealed by the Covid 19 pandemic. Students will also work with architectural practice Pearce + Faegan to design the new education and workshop space at East Quay . Through a series of workshops, students will consider the abstract qualities of a space, the imaginative possibilities, as well as the practical elements of the situated environment itself.

Recent projects include a collaboration between the Museum of Somerset, West Somerset College, local artist Jenny Barron and Contains Art, enabling a group of Year 9s and Year 12s the opportunity to visit, learn about and respond to the Museum's exhibition, 'Landscapes of the Mind: The Art of Tristram Hillier'. Following the trip, students took part in a watercolour workshop, guided by Jenny Barron who developed their skills, knowledge and understanding of Hillier's surrealist landscapes, culminating in student exhibitions at the College and the Museum of Somerset's Hammett Room.

This is the second ACE-funded 'Museums in Schools' project undertaken between the Museum of Somerset and Contains Art. Last year students from Danesfield Middle School explored the Museum's exhibition, 'A Life in Colour: The Art of Doris Hatt' with local print maker Lyn Mowat.

The containers themselves made a superb education space for the first ever Contains Art Summer School in 2019. Children aged 9-13 took part in a series of artist-led workshops, including monoprinting, photography, glass fusion, bookbinding and ceramics. The students developed their knowledge and understanding of a whole range of new tools, techniques and practice, under the specialist guidance of the artists themselves.

Arts Award
Arts Award supports individuals to grow as artists and arts leaders, inspiring them to connect with the wider arts world through challenges applicable to any art form.

As a registered Arts Award Centre, Contains Art can provide support to any school, youth group or arts organisation in delivering Arts Award 'Discover' and 'Explore'. Our proven track record in 'exemplary' Arts Award delivery, means that we are well-placed in providing advice or programme support and our in-house Arts Award Advisor can enter children for these awards.

'I liked learning about what other artists do and how. It gave me more of an idea of what I could do when I'm older. I learned to use my own ideas and express myself without somebody telling me what to do and how to do it.' Year 8 student from Danesfield Middle School, Arts Award Explore.

'I really enjoyed visiting different pieces of artwork around Watchet. The nail piece was really cool to see – I never knew you could make art with rusty nails.' Year 5 pupil from Lydeard St Lawrence School, Arts Award Discover.

Artsmark
Artsmark enables education settings to strengthen, diversify, celebrate and evaluate their provision for arts and culture.

As a registered and experienced Artsmark Partner, we support schools at each stage of the process. We tailor opportunities to meet the individual needs of Artsmark schools, adding value to each school's journey and merit to the outcome.

Contact
To find out more about education opportunities, Arts Award or Artsmark, please email: cat@containsart.co.uk

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East Quay, Watchet
Somerset, TA23 0AQ

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01984 633496

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