Hidden Art celebrated the 10th Anniversary of its Schools Project with an exhibition at the Prince’s Foundation in March 2005. The Then, Now and Future exhibition included creations from the designer-makers, teachers and most importantly the student participants in 2005’s exciting new 3D project, alongside winning work from previous years.
The children's creations showed a level of skill and imagination that impressed visitors to the exhibition, as well as the variety of work on display.
There were clay pots and name plates from pupils of Newington Green Primary School, gaily painted in pastel colours, while Brampton Primary made Mondrian-inspired plaques and vases painted in blocks of primary colours. Thomas Fairchild School returned to nature with delicate imprints of leaves and grasses on clay plaques, painted in shades of greeen.
A favourite with many of the young visitors to the exhibitions were the clay dogs made by Samuel Rhodes School. The children at this special needs school created a wonderful display of dogs, injecting personality, charm and animation into their work.
St John's CofE Primary Schoocl continued the aniimal theme, making animal heads inspired by the wildlife of India, combining the Schools Project with a geography class.
Lathom Junior School's greek pots looked so authentic they could have come from an archeological dig in an ancient villa. The pupils had also made beautifully bound and embossed books, containing illustrations and stories.
Another crowd pleaser was the little village created by Grasmere Primary School, reminiscent of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tales with houses and towers straight out of Hansel and Gretel or Rapunzel. The students had also
made brightly coloured glittery plaques and hands.
Colourful drawings from Sc Scholastica's and Lauriston Primary were on display, representing the "Then" part of the exhibition of participants in the Schools Project from years gone by. The posters included fond memories from children who remembered the thrill of seeing their picture on the side of a bus.
The pre-opening party for the exhibition was well attended, with Fiona Courtenay-Evans representing the project funders UBS Investment Bank, Lynette Greene and Hank Dittmar from the Prince's Foundation, who had kindly lent the space to Hidden Art, as well as the Hidden Art team and some of the teachers, children and designer-makers who participated in the 2005 Schools Project.
Fiona from UBS and Hidden Art's School Project Co-ordinator Charlotte Copping awarded a number of prizes for the outstanding contributions of some of the participants.
Brian Hughes from Lathom Junior School Newham won the Best Teacher Participant award. Brian's committment and enthusiasm drove him to take part in two placements with Hidden Art designer-makers. The first was with ceramicist Loli Cardenoso who taught him how to throw a pot and other hand building pottery methods. The second was with book artist Heather Weston, where he learnt bookmaking skills. Not only did he teach his pupils, he has passed on his newly acquired knowledge to three other teachers who have taught their pupils.
Cerys Matthews from Samuel Rhodes Special School won an award for the Best Teacher's Work. She made a fantastic hand built pug, on display amongst her pupils' delightful dogs.
Grasmere Junior School won a prize for the Best Overall School Effort, for producing an amazing display of three classes' work. Year 1 children made plaques, ceramic houses and painted a road
scene to display the houses, while the reception class made hand shapes and pots.
