PROMOTING ART FOR LIFE AT ST AUGUSTINE’S HIGH SCHOOL
Throughout 2022 we worked with St Augustine’s CE High School in Kilburn to deliver a series of pilot projects designed to connect and uplift the whole school community, and to highlight the mental health benefits of getting creative in everyday life. Suffice to say it was an eye-opening experience - for them and us! It was a real joy to get closer to the needs, concerns, interests and creative talents of both staff and students.
At a glance, we delivered:
A ‘Social Sketchup’ on INSET day (for over 100 staff members!)
A weekly lunchtime ‘Chill Art’ club open to all ages throughout the Spring/Summer terms
‘Social Sketchups’ for Years 7 - 10 (over 600 students) in Spring/Summer & for new Year 7 groups in September
A 6-week ‘Art of Self-Love’ project with a Y9 Art class
Wellbeing workshops for students attending the Deaf Student Provision unit
2 x ‘Art of Self-Love’ workshops for new Y9 group in October
Here is a bit more insight and feedback from these projects…
The Art of Self-Love
The Art of Self Love is a 6-part wellbeing project designed to inspire and empower students to draw for the joy of it, and use their creativity to support their mental health.
It provides time and space for self-discovery, self-reflection and creative play, and exposure to a diverse range of creative influences and ideas. Based on tried and tested methodologies and content of our book ‘The Art of SelfLove’, this project covers a range of activities suitable for all abilities – each one designed to build creative confidence, boost self-esteem, and equip young people with creative coping strategies to implement in everyday life.
Over the course of 6 x double-lessons students explored various topics and activities focused on self-love and wellbeing. They drew experimental self-portraits, created self-love zines, superhero and animal alter-egos, explored the power of positive word art, and created some empowering typographic illustration.
Below is a snapshot of student feedback and some of the artwork they created.
88% said that the project had made them feel more confident in their creativity and drawing skills
94% said that the project helped them to appreciate and experience the mental health benefits of drawing
88% said that it had inspired them to draw more for their wellbeing
Super-sized Social Sketchups!
In the Summer term we delivered 8 large-scale ‘Social Sketchups’ to approximately 670 students in Years 7-10. We then went back in September to welcome the new cohort of Year 7s with 2 of the same! These fun and experimental 100 minute sketching sessions took place in the hall and engaged between 60-100 students at a time - that’s a whole lotta Sharpies!! We learned lots and laughed lots, and we couldn’t have done it all without the STELLAR support of Ms Carney and all the amazing staff who helped to crowd control!
Here’s some of the awesome feedback we received from students afterwards…
These are some of our favourite comments :)
“This was sooo fun and inclusive to people and really showed unity through Art”
“It made me feel very calm and relaxed. I would do this again. 100/10!”
“I really enjoyed drawing other people in different ways. It has taught me a lot.”
“Whoever picked the music deserves a raise. Top-notch experience would love to do it again!
“I feel happy and I made new friends”
“It released my stress and anxiety - I loved it!”
“I feel very happy and giggly even though I’m no good at Art”
“I enjoyed the lesson - it was very interesting and fun”
STAFF SKETCHUP!
The Social Sketchup we ran for all (100+) staff on INSET day in January was perhaps the biggest surprise hit of the year! We don’t take comments like “that was the best INSET day ever!” lightly, and we got more than a few - for weeks afterwards! The positive impact of this session on staff was widespread and lasted well into the year. It helped to lift everyone’s spirits, re-group after Christmas, and crucially it gave them permission to PLAY! How often do teachers get to do that?
Ms Emma Carney supported our work throughout the year, as Assistant Head responsible for student wellbeing and leadership, as well as overseeing the Art Department. She shared her thoughts on the projects with us…
“The social sketchups were hugely appreciated (from both a staff and student perspective) as something different, something that allowed them to come together and relax in a really informal/fun way. It was really appreciated as a time out of a packed schedule for all concerned!
Bringing people together was an essential part of the project and that did happen. The only reason I say partly above is because there were logistics involved that we learnt along the way; for example, ensuring teachers were there to support Dulcie in the delivery and also in ensuring certain groups were not sat together. When these two things happened, the community was 100% together!
The social sketch ups, the mentoring work with the wellbeing committee in terms of empowering them in how Art based work can help as an ‘outlet’ for students. The Art of self-love from year 9 was difficult to start with but some of the quotes/posters/empowering slogans they did were fantastic. The use of music to in the social sketch ups was great too.
I loved it and it really pushed me out of my comfort zone but also remember how much I love drawing! I loved presenting it with Dulcie too! The vast majority of students got a huge amount out of it in terms of working together, something new and fun!”
