Beneath the Surface
The book is full of surprising images of arts activities demonstrate the transformation of classrooms into arts studios
This book has been developed out of a three-year residency programme that placed artists in schools, Trading Places/CR.E.A.T.E. The book has articles written by teachers and artists that share ideas for developing arts projects in the classroom based on their experiences during the residency.
Trading Places/CR.E.A.T.E. also had a strong focus on professional development. This took place in ten schools involving eleven artists north and south of the Irish border. The aim of the project was to develop creative partnerships that utilised the power of new technologies and the visual arts as a vehicle for exploring and communicating cultural diversity. This project sought to reconnect communities once connected through the linen Industry in Ireland.
Through the introduction of contemporary arts practices, classrooms were transformed into studios. Artists, children and teachers were continually challenged to interrogate their ideas, negotiate the creation of meaning, and strive for authentic collaboration. Teachers witnessed their students working with great motivation and inspiration as they explored questions about their own identity, the world and their place in it.
This uniquely flexible project brought each artist’s working process to the core of his or her collaboration. At this core, the boundaries were blurred between their studio work and their collaborations in the classroom. For many artists and teachers this was a transformative experience.
Through this publication ‘Beneath the Surface’, Kids’ Own wishes to change perceptions about the quality and relevance of artwork done in educational settings.
The aim of Kids’ Own is to provide creative, cultural and educational opportunities for children and the professionals that work with them, Our way of working, empowers young people to develop their own individual creative expression through authentic arts practice.
