Member Article

A novel idea for BloomInArt

A Hartlepool school has enlisted the help of a local group of artists and well-known literary characters to encourage young people to read.

Eldon Grove Academy has been working with BloomInArt to develop a specialised reading area complete with the children’s chosen literary characters.

From Harry Potter and Marvel to the classic Roald Dahl and Beatrix Potter, pupils have been inspired to create a stained-glass effect design using vinyl. The vinyl design will decorate the reading hideaway’s ceiling, whilst seating areas will be covered in bespoke cushions incorporating the pupils literary designs.

Karen Scorer, Art Coordinator from Eldon Grove Academy, said: “One of the things we’ve been looking at as a school is how we encourage reading with the children. There is already a reading shed on both yards, but we wanted something within the school where children could read as part of a group or somewhere they could spend their playtimes/ lunchtimes in a nice quiet place reading.

“We have previously worked with BloomInArt to help with a display for the reception of the school, so I knew that anything they would come up with would be fantastic.

“I contacted Emma and Rachel and asked if there were any chance they could come in and chat about ideas. They then came up with the idea of incorporating the favourite quotes and characters of our students.”

Every pupil from the school was invited to take part with around 100 pieces chosen to be incorporated into the final design.

Rachel Laycock, Co-director of BloomInArt, said: “The idea was to hand the project over to the children and in a way where everybody had a chance to be involved.

“We framed it as a competition where the whole school had the opportunity to send in their images, illustrations and quotes from their favourite book and then we went through the selection process and narrowed it down.

“The level of work from the children involved has been amazing. They have been involved with the design process and chose where all the designs were going to go.

“This is a fantastic challenge for us. It’s perfect to get children to think about how art is a part of our everyday life. They will experience how art can be used to transform an area, the impact it can have on how we behave, feel and think.

“We have a lot of pride in taking part in such an important project. It’s a legacy for the current pupils for years to come.”

Karen concluded: “I’d like to thank Rachel and Emma at BloomInArt for the time and effort they have put into this project and the incredible affect it will have on children at the school for years to come.”

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