A group of 17 year 7 students are working towards their Bronze Arts Award. This nationally recognised qualification asks students to get involved in the arts by completing four tasks:
– Part A: learn a new skill
– Part B: be an audience
– Part C: research an arts hero
– Part D: arts apprenticeship
The Arts Award day started with the students being treated to a gig in the Drama Studio, fulfilling the criteria of Part B of the Award as the students had the chance to be an audience. Dan Robinson, a professional guitarist and singer played a selection of well-known songs from Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now to a more up-to-date mash-up of Bruno Mars’ Billionaire / Lazy Song. The students really enjoyed the gig (and the staff dancing also confirmed this opinion!) Mawgan commented that he “liked seeing live music because I have never seen live music before”. Zac even said “When I went to see Ed Sheeran, he was bad, but Dan was great” – quite an accolade we thought! This gig really got the day off to a positive start. From the gig, students then went on to rotate around a selection of workshops in their groups.
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To complete Part A, students took part in a guitar workshop, learning a selection of famous guitar riffs from Smoke on the Water to What Makes You Beautiful and I Predict a Riot. Dan helped students to learn these riffs, making sure that students played them as confidently as on the original tracks. Initially, everyone learned Smoke on the Water, then students discovered how to read tab before choosing and working out riffs more independently, with help and support where needed. The session was enjoyed by the boys, with comments such as “I now want to play more on the guitar”, “It’s awesome” and “[This workshop] will help me to be better than Dan some day.”
Students researched their own ‘arts hero’ to complete Part C of the award. Wiley, Skrillex, David Hockney and Miranda Hart were some of the heros chosen, and students worked hard to find out about their life stories through the internet and book research, supported by our School Librarian, Mrs Hambleton.
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Within the final workshop of the project, students completed an ‘Arts Apprenticeship’. They had to teach an arts skill to a group of students, thinking about the aims of the teaching, the resources that would be needed, the best method of teaching and possible problems. Students then went on to share their skill. Everyone taught different skills, from performing a keyboard chord sequence, singing a song, drawing animals, to origami. Every single teaching session was successful and some students realised how great teaching can be – Craig commented that he felt “the joy of teaching people new things”.
The whole day was very varied, using a range of skills. Students worked incredibly hard throughout, showing perseverance, reflection and problem-solving skills in each session. We hope that you enjoy looking at the images of the students working hard!
Mrs Hughes