Burberry Inspire - Year 1
Over the first year of the Burberry Inspire programme The Hepworth Wakefield worked in depth with two local Wakefield schools, Airedale Academy and Castleford Academy.
We worked with over 1200 students to develop their creativity in a range of artist workshops and projects to give young people meaningful experience of the visual arts.
The year culminated in celebration events in the schools and a cultural runway with the other Burberry Inspire arts organisations and schools, showcasing the students work and creativity.
Cultural experience days
Nearly 900 students from Airedale Academy and Castleford Academy visited The Hepworth Wakefield over 10 days, each taking part in three creative workshops with specialist artists.
Students explored the artworks and exhibitions before creating work in response to the themes, materials and processes on display, including prints, ink drawings, collaborative sculptures and figurative clay pots.
“Thank you for giving us an opportunity to go to an art gallery, I had never been to one before. Everyone was really nice and welcoming. I enjoyed the ability to see art from a different point of view and I learnt different techniques of art that I didn’t know existed”
Castleford Academy student
Artist in Residence
In school, artists from The Hepworth Wakefield worked with students during a series of workshops and creative projects. Exploring the creative brief ‘Inspire Heritage’ young people developed a sense of pride in their local area, discovering more about the importance of Yorkshire and Wakefield’s heritage and prominent local artists Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore.
Each project was delivered through a series of artist workshops that enabled students to explore different visual art forms, materials and processes. These projects included landscape sculpture; textiles heritage; experimenting with clay; exploring ceramics and printmaking.
“I enjoyed all the opportunities to learn new skills and take risks.”
“It has made me want to try new things and be creative in my free time.”
“They were the best art lessons that I have had!”
Airedale and Castleford students
After-school Clubs
During after-school clubs in both schools, students worked closely with artists to respond to the creative brief ‘Inspired Heritage’. Led by the students’ exploration of their own personal and local heritage, they made a series of work to share at the cultural runway event.
The young people screen printed large textile banners that explored their ideas about personal identity and breaking stereotypes.
Inspired by the shapes and forms in the local landscape that influenced Hepworth and Moore, students created wire and fabric sculptures to wear during a ‘sculptural runway’.
Exploring the local textiles heritage of Castleford, students also created a live movement piece, where they became part of the weaving process threading hundreds of meters of coloured ribbon through a human sized loom.
“I’ve learnt to have confidence in my skills and that I am more artistic and creative than I ever thought.”
After-school club student
“Our child’s confidence has grown throughout the after-school club, she has transformed this year and inspired by the programme has been working on lots of art projects at home too.”
Parent of an after-school club student
Cultural Runway
On 4 July 2019 Leeds City Museum was transformed through a series of dance, art, theatre and film performances by over 100 students from across the eight Burberry Inspire schools.
The performances celebrated their participation in the first year of the Burberry Inspire programme and showcased the students creative work with the arts organisations.
Students from Airedale Academy and Castleford Academy performed an amazing sculptural runway in their wearable sculptures and created a live weaving piece.
An exhibition of student’s artwork from the two schools framed the space and celebrated the creative output from students during the first year of the programme with The Hepworth Wakefield.
