MellorCreativity at Mellor
Creative Projects
The Mellor Art Gallery
CC The Mellor Art Gallery
Each term, the Creativity Council set a new theme for the Mellor Art Gallery and open it up for the whole school to create a piece of work reflecting this theme. The Creative Council select the winners and also choice one piece each for the Judge’s Winner. All winners are on display for the rest of the term for all the school to see.
This month’s theme is ‘Climate Change’.
Colours of Antarctica
CC Colours of Antarctica
The children in year 3 have been looking at Antarctica as their topic and they created some beautiful paintings exploring the colours of Antarctica. At first, the children thought Antarctica was mainly white but when they explored it further they could see the range of different colours hidden in the environment. They applied their knowledge of creating primary and secondary colours and even learnt about tertiary colours on the colour wheel.
Aboriginal Paintings
CC Aboriginal Paintings
In year 4, the children have been looking at Aboriginal paintings as part of the Australia Topic. They applied their knowledge of brush stokes to create different effects and learnt all about using tints and shades in their work.
Painting Landscapes in Year 5
CC Painting Landscapes in year 5
In year 5, the children have been painting different landscapes based on a visit to Bradgate Park. They looked at how different colours create specific moods and applied their work in previous years on colour mixing. They also applied the skills they have learnt about creating perspective using vanishing points and adding layers.
Painting Using Different Brushstrokes in Year 2
CC \Painting using different brushstrokes in year 2
In year 2, the children have been experimenting with different colours and different brushstrokes to create some wonderful artwork. These paintings were inspired by the work on Van Gogh and how he created his famous paintings.
Using a 3D Printer
CC Using a 3d Printer
This year we had a 3d printer on loan at Mellor so the Creative Council came up with a project to show the whole school how amazing it was. Firstly, they learnt how to use it and then made some models of their own. They then secretly put these in classrooms to create some mystery and made our own video showing how they were made! They then asked the children to come up with an idea for how the printer should be used and what we should make. The idea they chose was new door stops for all classrooms and we got to make them using the printer.
Radio Project for SPARK Arts Week
CC Radio Project for SPARK arts week
The year 4 Creativity Council hub worked alongside SPARK Arts to create a range of podcasts reviewing performances from SPARK week (7th to 14th February). First, they worked with professional broadcasters to understand the techniques needed for making a podcast and then they met with theatre critics to discuss how to write reviews.
Finally, they watch the different performances and recorded their podcasts straight after.
All podcasts are on the SPARK Arts website which you can listen on using the following link:
The SPARK Arts - Here all about it
The Take Over Day – February 12th
CC The Take Over Day February 12th
The Creative Council year 5 and 6 hub, worked hard to plan a Take Over day on February 12th at the Curve theatre. The children worked alongside SPARK Arts to organise and run the whole event!
We came up with the official title of ‘The Festival of Kindness’ and had a range of different meetings with SPARK Arts about how to plan for the event, manage a budget and advertise the event successfully. The day was a great success and we loved the experience of being responsible for such a large event.
Creativity During Lockdown
Mellor Musical Showcase
On Wednesday 11th December 2019, the pupils took part in the Annual Mellor Musical Showcase. This year the theme was 'Space' to celebrate the anniversary of the moon landing. Pupils from all year groups took part in a range of performances using different musical instruments and singing space-related songs.
Into the Wild
Art Clubs
We have made a variety of great art, in art club we have explored and experimented with different materials. We designed our own life size spacesuits. The Children drew around each other and then used paint and decoration to bring their ideas to life. Lots of thought went into how an astronaut might breathe, eat, drink and communicate whilst wearing a spacesuit.
Art in the Curriculum 2D
Art in the Curriculum 3D
Art at the Cross Corners Art Centre
Art in Nature
We visited cross corners. We went around in a carousel and designed different art in nature pictures.
We undertook this activity to look at the changes in seasons. The children really enjoyed the activities. We also bought some leaved back to make some animals using the leaves. The children had the chance to explore the Cross Corner gardens in Spring. They were looking for a range of plants and birds.
We managed to find a few frogs and a boat filled with rainwater!
Leaf Animal
In year one, we have been talking and learning about animals. When we visited cross corners we picked some leaves and made some animals using the leaves. The children really enjoyed this as they could make different animals.
Card Making & Fundraising Project
The children had the opportunity to work with an arts award assessor during the card project at Cross Corners. The children enjoyed exploring the gardens looking at the plants, taking photographs and looking at the all the wonderful patterns they could see in the gardens.
The children then explored and looked at the work of an artist called Angie Lewin. They enjoyed exploring and drawing pictures using pencils and colouring pencils.
The children created a stencil for their card and enjoyed printing their pattern using oil paints.
The cards were made from special handmade paper sent from children at the Ghandi Ashram.
Children created a variety of cards to sell at school to raise money for the children who live at the Gandhi Ashram. The children shared their wonderful work during a special assembly in school on the 1st February 2017. All the children that took part in the project achieved the Art Award Discover. Children showcased all their wonderful work and efforts in a lovely art exhibition in 13th December 2016. Parents and carers, alongside school staff were invited to exhibition which the children ran themselves.
Art Projects: Local Artists & Organisations
Press Release for the Emerge Festival
Town and Country Gardening Glove
Earlier this year children from Mellor entered a competition run by Town and Country to design a gardening glove. Entries were submitted by 42 different schools and we were delighted to hear that the two winning entries came from Mellor. Jawzi Jawahir won the best design for a child's glove and Shreya Rana won best design for an adult's glove. A special presentation assembly will be held on Friday 27th May where both children will be presented with samples of their gardening gloves. These designs will also be shown to fashion retailers and garden industry professionals at Birmingham's Glee Garden fair. The Leicester Mercury have been invited to report on this achievement and Town and Country are hoping to include photographs of the children on the packaging of their gardening gloves, which will be sold UK wide from October onwards. Town and Country have commented on the artistic talent of Mellor children stating; "Your school has such talent with art. It seems you have some very talented pupils."
CPD, Training & Lead School
Arts in the Curriculum
Science and Maths (symmetry)
In year one we have been looking at the life cycle of a caterpillar. We painted some butterflies and talked about symmetry.
We really enjoyed this activity and painting outside. We will then try and see if our caterpillars are going to be symmetrical.
Victorian
Beaumanor Hall
Home School Challenge: Recreate Beaumanor Hall following our visit to Beaumanor
Designing, cutting out, sticking, assembling, decorating.
Pupils and parents said they enjoyed this challenge and the pupils were able to describe the processes and materials used to the rest of the class.
Victorian Still life pencil or charcoal drawings
Home School Challenge: Recreate Beaumanor Hall following our visit to Beaumanor
Designing, cutting out, sticking, assembling, decorating.
Pupils and parents said they enjoyed this challenge and the pupils were able to describe the processes and materials used to the rest of the class.
Victorian Chimney sweep collage
Observational drawings of artefacts.
Introduction of pencil shading or charcoal rubbing and blending.
Pupils concentrated calmly and quietly for a sustained period, focusing on shape and light. Pupil comments: "It really looks solid with the shading" "I included the details"
Fire of London Dance
Drama
Exhibitions
Film Making
Music
There are big waves
There are big waves and little waves,
Green waves and blue,
Waves you can jump over,
Waves you dive through.
Waves that rise up like a great water wall,
Waves that swell softly and don't break at all.
Waves that can whisper,
Waves that can roar,
And tiny waves that run at you running on the shore.
by Eleanor Farjeon
Instruments of the Orchestra
Year 3
ear three have been looking at instruments found in an orchestra and the different families they belonged to. The children learnt that the different families are woodwind, brass, percussion and strings and how each family of instruments produced a sound. All the children can identify instruments of the orchestra by sound and sight and even had a go at trying to play some of them. The children listened to 'Young Persons Guide to the orchestra' by Benjamin Britten and can identify the different families of instruments that play the theme.
For the performance element of their learning, year three have learnt to play 'Ode to Joy' on glockenspiels. 'Ode to Joy' is a famous orchestral piece written by Ludwig Van Beethoven. The children aimed to play the piece fluently and in time with the rest of the class, just as a member of an orchestra would have to do.
Year 6
Year six have been looking at instruments found in an orchestra and the different families they belonged to. The children learnt that the different families are woodwind, brass, percussion and strings and how each family of instruments produced a sound. All the children were able to identify instruments of the orchestra by sound and sight and even had a go at trying to play some of them. The children listened to 'Young Persons Guide to the orchestra' by Benjamin Britten and can identify the different families of instruments that play the theme.
Each year six class took the orchestral piece' Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra' as a model for our own orchestral performance. We grouped the classroom instruments into four families; guitars, percussion, recorders and glockenspiels/ xylophones. Each member of the class learnt the orchestral piece 'Ode to Joy' by Beethoven, working to play it together in their instrumental families. Once all the children could play the tune reasonably well each class produced an orchestral performance with each instrumental family playing the tune in turn and all together (tutti) at the beginning and the end. While working towards their class performance all the children needed to work together, play together, listen to each other, know when it was their turn to play and follow musical direction from a conductor.
Barrow Band
The children in year 4 and 5 took part in some dance and art workshops with the Barrow Band. The band perform a range of songs all about Fruit and Vegetables. The children created a range of dances and performed these with the band in front of the whole school!
Photography Club
Theatre
Jack and the Beanstalk
As part of the writing champion project, year 1 and year 5 had the opportunity to watch the Pantomime "Jack and the Beanstalk". As part of the project the children were asked to write a story.
In year 1 the children used 'Talk for Writing'. They retold the original story through oral story telling (actions, story mapping). Once the children had learnt the story, they were asked to change the character to their name and the giant to a different evil characters such as a witch. They created their own story map as their plan to help with their writing.
The Spark Children's Charity
The children chose to support The Spark, Children's Art charity in the Spring Term. This is a registered charity which offers children the opportunity to discover and enjoy the arts as audiences, as learners and as creators of their own art. On our Fundraising day, children and staff dressed up as Superheroes and Learning Power Heroes.
The Boy who bit Picasso
A group of 28 Year 2 pupils, 2 teachers, 2 teaching assistants and 1 parent went to Attenborough Arts Centre to take part in this interactive Sparks production.
The children were invited to sit around the edge of a circular stage and the three actors performing the play involved them from the very beginning, breaking down any sense of barrier between performers and audience. The young boy in the story meets Picasso when he visits his parents' farm in Sussex. As well as having great fun with his eccentric artist friend, the boy tries out lots of different art techniques with him. The children were invited to join in with many of these activities and were provided with different resources throughout the energetic and musical performance. All of the children found this experience entertaining and exciting, and worked creatively and cooperatively.
The photographs show the actors and children creating bull masks, cubist transparencies, food collages, and large shared paintings. The actors played musical instruments throughout the performance and encouraged the children to have a go too.
Back at school, we plan to try out some of the art techniques that we were shown with the whole year group. We were both entertained and inspired by this wonderful show.
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