In June ISIS ran an artists lab in Oakley Cross Primary school, West Auckland.

Paula Turner (Choreographer)
Claire Webster (Performance Artist)
Kate Sweeney (Digital Artist)
Peter Saaramets (Musician)
and Sam McGeever (Sculptor)
worked with pupils and staff for an intensive week. The Lab explored the idea of ‘inside out’ and gave pupils the opportunity to work in all art forms.

Sam McGeever said “It was much more rewarding working within a team as it allowed for discussion with other knowledgeable people who were experiencing the same children at the same time.”

Kate Sweeney said “ it was great to work so intensely over a period of time and staying locally meant I was continually engaged with the project.”

There was also the opportunity for some of our mentees to work alongside the artists.

For Martin Sedgewick (Dancer) it gave him the opportunity to try other artforms. “I gained new experience in creating sculpture, and developed further my skills at working with children and leading origami sessions.”

Rachel Wilcock (a recent Drama graduate) described the project as having “brought together passionate artists bringing their individual skills and a love for their art to children who revelled in being allowed to play.”

The Head Teacher at the school Mrs Ivil said it was “the opportunity of a lifetime, a truly life changing crossroad in a young persons life.

Although the creative aspect was so important for the children it was the actual people, because of their inspiration, because of their thoughtfulness and because of the way they responded to individual children that makes it so memorable and so far reaching.”