Pupils from primary schools in Newcastle’s West End tried their hands at creating Picasso-inspired sculptures in a special art masterclass hosted by Dame Allan’s Schools.
Junior-aged children from Knop Law Primary School and Wingrove Primary School made use of Dame Allan’s’ new art facilities at its Senior Schools site in Fenham to learn about Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and design their own flat relief sculptures.
The clay model workshop, run by Head of Art Zoe Allonby, formed part of a series of masterclasses led by Dame Allan’s as part of its work with four partner primary schools in the area.
“Teaching art at primary age gives children valuable skills; not only are they learning about shape, colour, tone, and form, for example, but they’re also developing confidence and exploring forms of self-expression and communication,” said Mrs Allonby, who has taught art at Dame Allan’s for almost 15 years.
“We welcome pupils from our own Junior School each week to make use of the art facilities, so it’s really great to now be able to extend that welcome to children from schools in the local area and share our passion for art.”
Dame Allan’s has invested heavily in a modern art department and exhibition space within its new Jubilee Building, officially opened last month by Lucy Winskell OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear.
Judith Robertson, Assistant Head Teacher of Knop Law Primary School, said six Year 5 pupils attended the art masterclass and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
“The children had a fantastic time and really felt inspired by the artwork on display created by older students,” she said. “Our visits to Dame Allan’s offer a really positive opportunity to the children; they are able to explore subjects and use facilities that we can’t provide at primary level.”
As a member of the Independent Schools Council, Dame Allan’s – a collection of four independent schools following a diamond structure of education – has built partnerships with local state schools, including Thomas Walling Primary Academy and West Newcastle Academy, to share expertise, best practice, and facilities.
Dame Allan’s, which has a history dating back to 1705, runs masterclasses each half term to introduce primary pupils to a wide range of subjects including dance, philosophy, science and technology.
Jane Mullarkey, Head Teacher of Wingrove Primary School, said: “It was great for our children to use the facilities and work with a specialist art teacher as it is so different to what we have in school.”
Year 5 pupil Imran Khani said: “I loved working with clay and designing the faces. I enjoyed the freedom of creating my own designs.”
Haroon Tahir added: “It was fun working with different tools to create our art. It made it much easier to work with the clay and create interesting designs.”