Burberry Inspire - Year 4

In the final year of Burberry Inspire, The Hepworth Wakefield worked with 1280 students from Co-op Academy Leeds and The Ruth Gorse Academy.  Students worked with artists in school and at the gallery to develop their confidence to explore new ways of making and being creative.

“The programme has introduced students to new artists and practical skills they wouldn’t normally have access to. It’s been beneficial for students to work collaboratively with others and develop social skills. The programme has inspired our own curriculum planning.” Head of Art, The Ruth Gorse Academy

The year culminated in a Cultural Runway event at Leeds Playhouse, bringing together students from the eight Burberry Inspire schools, artists, creative educators and school communities to celebrate the young people’s creative journey during the four-year programme.

In November we welcomed 550 students to the gallery for six cultural experience days. For 85% of students this was their first visit to a museum or gallery.

Students were introduced to different ways of looking at, exploring and creating art in three artist-led workshops inspired by the exhibitions and garden. Workshops included collaborative sculpture building, outdoor willow weaving, mixed media printmaking and large-scale drawing.

“The Burberry Inspire trips to The Hepworth were an extremely valuable experience for our students. For the majority this was their first visit to an art gallery, and it was an overwhelmingly positive one.” Head of Art, The Ruth Gorse Academy

Taking over the gallery spaces, artists facilitated immersive experiences, enabling students to make connections with how they can use art to express themselves and their feelings:

“I never knew art could show emotion.”
“The workshops made me feel really happy and joyful.”
“I never knew drawing expresses feelings.”
“Today made me feel completely relaxed.”

During four artist-in-residence projects 350 students worked with artists John Mayson and Sarah Jane Palmer in a series of weekly workshops live streamed into the classroom.

Inspired by processes and materials used by Barbara Hepworth, each project explored sculpture and abstract art by using materials and processes not frequently used in the classroom including printmaking and moving from 2D to 3D.

“There has been huge benefits! Children have walked away each lesson learning a completely new skill and a wider understanding of abstract art.” Teacher, Co-op Academy Leeds

Students explored balance, abstraction and construction techniques to create a series of 3D outcomes from wire, card, Modroc, acetate, foam, paper and fabric.

The workshops supported students to develop their confidence to think and work creatively, try new things and to creatively problem solve.

“I enjoyed the creative side of it and being able to be practical all the time.” Student, The Ruth Gorse Academy.

During the summer, students collaborated with artist John Mayson to create large-scale sculptures to share at the Cultural Runway event held at Leeds Playhouse in July.

Taking inspiration from Barbara Hepworth’s Family of Man sculptures and exploring the theme ‘inspired people’, students explored emotions attached to people, places and objects important to them, representing these through pattern, shape and sculpture.

Co-op Academy students translated their sculptural ideas into large-scale work, designing and carving shapes that they could stack and assemble into sculptures live on stage at Leeds Playhouse. Students animated their sculptures with light play to cast projections, colour and pattern on to their sculptures.

Students at The Ruth Gorse Academy developed their explorations of the ‘inspired people’ theme to design abstract shapes and prototype sculptures. These were realised large-scale in coloured Perspex, made in collaboration with Duke Makes, a digital fabrication agency close to the school. During the Cultural Runway students slotted their shapes into plinths on stage to form sculptures. Dynamic lighting then created playful shadows and colourful light projection.

During a digital art project, a second group of students from The Ruth Gorse Academy worked with artist Jonathan Munro to experiment with 3D and digital art, creating sculptures and transforming them into augmented reality and film videos using 3D capture and design software.