CREATIVE SPARKS [1] [2]
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Ruth Spencer-Jolly reflects on the impressive skills on display in Lower and Middle School House Art this year L ower School artists kicked off the year by celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush’s journey from the Caribbean to the UK, with a spotlight on the migra- tory journey and impact that the Windrush generation had on culture and society in the UK. The competition collided with an exhibition in The Store on the theme of Windrush 75 and was complemented by workshops from Skin Deep Education to mark Black History Month. Stu- dents in the Lower School were challenged to respond to the Windrush 75 anniversary with an open brief embrac- ing sculpture, collage, paint, Photoshop, installation and animation. First prize was awarded to Zak Khan (Year 7) who produced a Lego stop frame animation telling the story of Windrush from the Blitz to the community cricket which flourished amongst Windrush communities in the UK. Second prize was jointly awarded to Alex Holman and Rayan Omezzine (both Year 7). Alex incorporated a Windrush generation front room into an acrylic painting of a 1950s living room. Rayan laser cut a wooden replica of the Empire Windrush boat, adapting and customising existing templates to improve historical accuracy. This
boat was accompanied by several plaques of inspiration- al black Caribbean individuals who have contributed to society and culture in the UK. Given they were very difficult to seperate, joint third prize went to Joshua Clark (Year 8), Boaz Luk (Year 7) and Raglan Jenen-Burgess (Year 7). Joshua’s The Calypso King suitcase installation was accompanied by a video explanation of the components in character. Boaz Luk produced a beautiful painting of a silhouetted female profile, drawing on stylistic influence from Althea McNish, a black contemporary artist. Raglan produced a very detailed and expressive collage of Sam Beaver King, made from tiny shreds of magazine paper. Middle School House Art proved to be another vibrant celebration of creativity and environmental conscious- ness, showcasing the diverse talents of our DC artists. The competition displayed not only the impressive range of the students’ artistic skills but also emphasised the profound beauty of nature and their collective respon- sibility to protect it. Entries spanned a multitude of mediums, from traditional paintings that vividly captured the essence of landscapes to digital art that explored the intersection of technology and nature. The result was a kaleidoscope of creative expressions, each piece a brushstroke in the larger canvas of environmental awareness. The competition’s judging criteria reflected
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THE ALLEYNIAN 711
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