Artsweek at Spring Grove

Roll up, roll up! Spring Grove School hosted a circus inspired artsweek in the Summer with lots of fun and thrills from visiting performers including Paul Incredible, Simia Circus, James Lovell from the Ministry of Fun and Animate Arts.The week culminated in a circus-themed dressing up day - followed by the Spring Grove Summer Ball in a ‘big top’ marquee, with circus entertainment.

Artsweek was packed with assemblies and workshops to allow all of the children to learn and be inspired.

Aims

Artsweek included lots of art - with a clown design competition, and a visit from Animate Arts Company, who are leading the #ArtBuilders campaign in East Kent. The children used plastic bottles to create flowers for Ashford’s Create Festival, and the aim is for every child in the school to make a plastic flower over the coming weeks. Spring Grove is also working with over 15 schools across East Kent who have joined #ArtBuilders, to encourage creative days and exhibitions work with professional artists, partner with local galleries and get children creative.

Background

Artsweek is an annual event at Spring Grove School, curated and masterminded by the Head of Art, Miss Drury.

Pupil Involvement

Artsweek was packed with assemblies and workshops to allow all of the children to learn and be inspired. Paul Incredible kicked off the week with a masterclass in illusion and circus tricks - he had the children enthralled as he taught them tricks and skills with juggling balls, body rolling balls and spinning plates. Tuesday featured some homegrown talent with the school’s very own Mr Mal wowing the children with his magic tricks in assembly. The workshops that followed featured his rather more famous son, Theo, fresh from his finalist appearance in Britain’s Got Talent with the magic group 4MG. Theo perplexed and puzzled us with his amazing card tricks - but as we found out such skill doesn’t come without hard work - Theo told the children that he practises at least three hours a day to achieve such magical perfection.

The children’s gymnastic skills were put to the test in a session with Simia Circus. Acrobalance is a combination of acrobatics and balances, and the children worked in groups and pairs to create holds and poses. It required some strength, and considerable trust in your partner(s)! The next morning, clown James Lovell also showed off his sense of balance when he donned a large set of stilts in front of a packed hall in assembly. James had already told us about the history of clowning, and showed us how to put on clown make-up. He then went on to put the children through their paces with a series of juggling workshops.