In 1994 I began my teaching
journey. My vibrant and eager 4 and 5 year-olds were inquisitive explorers of
the art world and approached art with enjoyment and without fear. Art was an
important way to express themselves as individuals, a way to explore and learn
new techniques and develop skills, but, most importantly, it was a natural way for
them to relax, as well as find their own individual direction in the world of
creativity.
“… the
arts have been an inseparable part of the human journey; indeed, we depend on
the arts to carry us toward the fullness of our humanity. We value them for
themselves, and because we do, we believe knowing and practicing them is
fundamental to the healthy development of our children's minds and spirits. That
is why, in any civilization – ours included – the arts are inseparable from the
very meaning of the term ‘education’. We know from long experience that no one
can claim to be truly educated who lacks basic knowledge and skills in the
arts.”
National Standards for Arts
Education
As adults, many of us tend to lose the
ability to create freely when producing art. Pablo Picasso (b.1881- d.1973)
once said, ‘Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist
once we grow up.’ In my mind’s eye, I
see everyone as artists, but the self-belief and innocence of childhood has to
be found again so adults can explore, enjoy and
express themselves without fear. This is the outlook that I hope to nurture and
develop within the MIND art group at Centrepieces; I believe we are all artists
in our own right.
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'Dudley', backdrawn mono-print and
oil pastels, by Jeremy Taylor |
Centrepieces successfully
began a learning partnership with MIND in Bexleyheath in November 2014. Each term, we meet on Monday mornings
at 10am for an hour-and-a-half, for 8 weeks, when a new art medium, technique
and related skills is introduced to the attendees. This is a new journey,
one that we are all participating in and learning from together, teacher and
artists alike. To date we have covered collage, mono-printing, clay tiles,
organic sculpture, paper sculpture, papier-mâché, mask making and, most recently,
Modroc modelling (plaster gauze).
In the Centrepieces MIND art group,
each artist grows both as an individual and as a group member. Since teaching in
these sessions, I have seen a positive effect on the artists’ mental health and
social inclusion skills. Artists become more self-aware as their confidence
grows, and their self-esteem in turn becomes stronger. Communication skills
also improve, as well as the social and emotional skills needed to participate
in group sessions. Pleasingly, there is also an increased resilience to the
challenges involved in adapting to new social situations, particularly in
overcoming obstacles when things do not go quite according to plan during the classes.
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| Organic sculptures |
The feelings of stability
that the artists gain as the term goes on not only strengthens the bonds within
the group, but also the artists’ friends and family. I have been fortunate to
meet some of the parents, spouses and children of our MIND artists, and they
have greeted me with positive feedback concerning their relatives’ well-being
since attending the sessions, largely prompted by the new skills and knowledge
they’ve gained. Not only that, in turn the artists have been passing on their
new insight and knowledge to their friends and family.
For us here at Centrepieces, that’s extremely rewarding all round.
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| Modroc hands |
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