Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Aiming for Arts Award

Do You Fancy Medieval Manga? Think it can get you a qualification? Well, that’s what we’re aiming for! A group of young people are aiming to achieve their Bronze Arts Award by getting creative with Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museum.

As part of a pilot scheme in partnership with Beauchamp Middle School and Albion Archaeology two groups of young people are developing their individual artistic skills in the arts to explore history. The Saturday Archaeology Workshop candidates visited the London Archaeological Archives and Research Centre and the Museum of London and according to Aidan’s review, it was “an amazing day.” Chris Dobson introduced them to the smelly arts of dyeing and weaving wool, just as the Saxons would have done.


Arts Award is about enjoying the arts and helping others to do so. After a workshop with local Comic Book artist Lee Smart, members of Medieval Manga group were challenged to recreate the Siege of Bedford Castle during the Museum & Gallery’s ‘Time Travel Big Draw’. Ben enjoyed painting scenes on the hoardings so much, that he came back another day to help other visitors to have a go.

Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museum realises that lots of young people spend their free time creatively and we were keen to offer Arts Award qualifications to help support their aspirations and recognise their individual interests and achievements.

“Arts Award aspires to support any young person to enjoy the arts and develop creative leadership skills.”

Arts Award is managed by Trinity College London in association with Arts Council England.

Funded by Renaissance and managed by Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service, this project forms part of the Effective Museums programme for the East of England. We hope this will be the first group of many to achieve their Bronze Arts Award and that we may possibly offer Silver Arts Award in the future.





The Big Time Travel Draw Panorama

We were delighted when Chris Carroll sent in this amazing panorama of the Big Time Travel Draw mural on the Art Gallery & Museum hoardings. The hoardings will be up for another year so we're hoping there will be some more mural action in Spring.


Thank you Chris!