Students, Schools & Sculpture by the Sea

Posted: October 30, 2015 / News
Wang Shugang, Man on ball, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2015. Photo Clare Elliott

Wang Shugang, man on ball, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2015. Photo Clare Elliott

The Sculpture by the Sea Schools Education Program continues to develop and expand.

Every exhibition the program offers primary and secondary students the unique opportunity to meet ‘real’ artists who are exhibiting their work in the exhibition and learn about the processes involved in creating sculpture.

This year 1,500 students are booked in to an Artist Workshop or Spotlight Talk with one or more of the fourteen exhibiting Artists who are working with us. 960 students will be involved in interactive Focus Tours – viewing and engaging with a diverse selection of works in the exhibition – encouraged and facilitated by Sculpture by the Sea Educators. The Schools Education Program includes an Access Program for students with disability and will offer 200 students Tactile Tours with specialist staff and AGNSW Guides.

Excitement abounds! Everyone loves the out of class room experience and no one is deterred at all by the rain and wind we have had recently. Bede Polding High School students said on the opening day, “There is nothing that I haven’t enjoyed! It was really awesome to hear the concepts and thoughts of artist and the reasons for which they constructed their artworks.”

After their workshop with artists Linda Bowden and Bronwyn Berman students from Shoalhaven High School wrote, “I’ve learnt that sculptures don’t have to be perfect!” and, “They (sculptures) don’t have to look ‘normal’ but you have to have a strong starting point.”
Words of wisdom for all artists and art enthusiasts.

Thanks to the Brennan Family Foundation we have been able to invite ten geographically and or social/economic disadvantaged schools to take part in an Artist Workshop.

We also work with DART Connections to offer a video conferenced ‘real time’ exhibition tour where students living in remote areas of NSW can be taken to some of the sculptures by the presenter and meet one of the artists for question and answers discussion. This year we also plan to be conferencing with students in Alaska and Korea.

The Copyright Cultural Fund support our program financially, particularly with regard to the Artists involved.

Eckersley’s Art and Craft suppliers have generously provided the workshops with a variety of creative materials this year and once again Waverley Small Grants are sponsoring our Tactile Tours helping to ensure that they are free of charge to the participants.

Whilst we are grateful for all the support of these sponsors, the Sculpture by the Sea Schools Education Program is still largely unfunded and we are actively looking for greater support to ensure the continuation of this program into the future.

 

 


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