Claire combines her contemporary art practice with cross curricular learning at educational settings including Primary, Secondary, Early years and Further Education. Her projects in schools use Claire’s skills in drawing, sculpture, photography and animation to create artworks which can connect to PSHE themes such as community and responsibility, relationships and mental health. Sessions typically involve working as a team, encourage creative thinking , problem solving and develop a practical skill.
Claire currently works with Cultured in St Helens, delivering staff CPD and workshops in schools, has worked with Edsential and Chester Contemporary on their schools engagement programme and was an artist mentor for the Pushing Boundaries programme with Curious Minds and Community Arts North West that supported international artists to develop their arts in education skills.
Her current off-the-peg offer for schools in St Helens and the wider region includes;
Constellations of Kindness – a day that includes a collective live art activity to express kindness and empathy, storytelling and origami about how the stars connect us and the creation of an immersive pin-prick-drawing globe full of positive imagery about community; and
Wishes on the wind – a day that combines observational drawing, relief printing processes and a communal activity to collect wishes and hopes from across the school. The activity will focus on how seeds are symbols of hope, that can be planted and grown, a mirror to the learning journey that happens within a school.
“The session with Claire was fantastic. The pin pricking activity was simple (this helped that everyone of all abilities could participate) yet extremely effective. The children had a great day and I will definitely be using some of the ideas provided by Claire”
Y5 teacher, Sutton Oak Primary School, St Helens, February 2022.
Galleries across the North West, including Harris Museum and Art Gallery and The Brindley Arts Centre, have commissioned Claire to engage schools with their contemporary arts programme. Gallery education projects typically combine Claire’s practical skills with a selection of activities that encourage curiosity about the exhibitions displayed and develop young people’s understanding of what contemporary art is with why and how it is made.
In my workshops I aim to take people on a journey, from understanding an idea; deciding how to show that visually; using or learning new practical skills; resulting in the production of individual and group artworks by the end of the process.
– Claire Weetman
Claire also offers CPD and INSET sessions for teachers at KS1 and KS2, including ‘Basic Drawing skills and interesting ways to teach them’ which can be booked in St Helens through Cultured, or outside the area by contacting Claire directly.
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your course – I tried a few things out this afternoon and the children really enjoyed it !
Primary teacher on drawing CPD session, 2022
For examples of this process in action see more posts about #education and #schools
If you’d like to invite Claire to come and work in your education setting, get in touch.