Archive Project: Culturally Diverse Projects

Project Description

Culturally Diverse Projects

Biddy Roberts was a dynamic member of the Artists in Warwickshire Education team, part of Warwickshire County Council’s Education Department. Following her death, colleagues established the Memorial Fund to help schools develop a diverse cultural awareness.  A huge range of artist-led projects focusing on cultural awareness and diversity take place in schools every year thanks to grants from the Biddy Roberts Memorial Fund.

Examples of working with artists Emmanuel Jegede, Lorna Rose, Matthew Krishanu and Roi Kwabena.

World-renowned Nigerian artist, Emmanuel Taiwo Jegede, came to Warwickshire to enable students from schools to study Nigerian styles and designs. Working with students on mask making, batik work, sculpting and story telling Emmanuel was able to raise awareness and appreciation of Nigerian artwork and culture which enriched the creative work of the students.

Feedback
“By listening to Emmanual, examining his work and his approach and discussing their ideas with him, students have the opportunity to reflect on what it means to be an artist in a culture very different from their own. Staff and students are genuinely excited by the prospect of this and feel the programme has the potential to be very enriching for all concerned”
David Smith – Alcester Grammar School

“The children were fascinated by Emmanuel; his personality and enthusiasm were infectious – in fact several teaching assistants started making their own masks too! He showed how to make a seemingly bland lump of clay into a human face with just a few slices with a knife. He really inspired the children to create something individual, whilst guiding them by using the skills he had taught them. The children not only learnt valuable creative skills, but came away with some knowledge about Nigerian customs and celebration rituals. It had been an excellent day!”
Class 4 teacher – Brailes C.E. Primary School

Telford Infant School
Working with artists Lorna Rose and Matthew Krishanu. Children and artists explored Africa through colour and artefacts. Using collage, sewing and batik techniques, vibrant pieces were created which capture the essence of Africa.

To celebrate and share the experience, parents and guests were invited to see the work and listen to songs and music performed by Kulu Pearson, a parent, and Bruce Knight a specialist in African community songs.

Briar Hill Infant School
The aim of the week was to raise awareness of different cultures in the society through art, dance, story-telling, poetry and drama.

In order to attempt to achieve these aims we arranged for Roi Kwabena, Birmingham’s Poet Laureate 2001/2, to go into the school for three days. He told Afro-Caribbean stories to the children and used an African drum to accompany his story-telling. Year 2 children were then inspired by Roi to write their own poetry.

Matthews Poem ‘Africa’
The sun burns like a bonfire.
The colours of Africa are always bright.
Cheetahs dash through the light rainforest.
Every sound you hear makes you run.
I feel like a flame in the scorching sun.

Eleanor’s Poem ‘Africa’
The bright exotic, vibrant, rich, vivid colours on their clothes.
The sweet passion fruit, as purple as a plum and the juicy mango’s as orange as the desert sand.
The leaping zebra’s as stripy as the stripyest pattern on earth.
Cheaters as spotty as a Dalmatian puppy.
The dusty, sandy, Sahara desert that only has plain sand.
The big crashing waves that sweep up everything
The African drums pounding like a heart beat.

Funders and Partners