Look Around You!
Children’s Art Week runs from 29 June to 19 July 2021
by Brian Radcliffe
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To encourage us to look around and get creative for Children’s Art Week 2021.
Preparation and materials
- In the ‘Assembly’, Step 3, the story of Bezalel and Oholiab can be found in Exodus 31.1-11 and Exodus 36.1-3a.
- Further information about Children’s Art Week is available at: https://engage.org/happenings/childrens-art-week/
- Optional: you may wish to explore the resources available at: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/event/children-s-art-week-2021
- Note: please be aware of any children who are visually impaired.
Assembly
- Take a good look around you.
Pause to allow time for thought.
What colours can you see?
Encourage the children to have a good look around, and then listen to a range of responses.
What shapes can you see?
Encourage the children to have a good look around, and then listen to a range of responses.
What can you see that makes you feel happy?
Encourage the children to have a good look around, and then listen to a range of responses.
What can you see that puzzles you?
Encourage the children to have a good look around, and then listen to a range of responses.
What can you see that excites you?
Encourage the children to have a good look around, and then listen to a range of responses.
What can you see that makes you feel calm?
Encourage the children to have a good look around, and then listen to a range of responses. - When we first look around, we might see shapes and colours. However, when we look more closely at things, we realize that what we see affects how we feel. That’s why visual art is so important in our lives. We are affected in various ways by everything we see around us, often without realizing it. In fact, throughout history, religions, governments, advertisers and individual artists have used visual art deliberately to influence our moods, ideas, beliefs and purchases.
- Near the beginning of the Bible, in the book of Exodus, God gives special artistic abilities to two men called Bezalel and Oholiab. Their task is to create a special meeting place where God could live with his people. The design of this Tent of Meeting, which was known as the tabernacle, was to be spectacular in colour and craftsmanship. Why? In order to convey the power, splendour and majesty of God himself. Whenever the people looked at the tent, they were to be overwhelmed with wonder at the image of their God.
- Similarly, in the years before the Second World War, the dictators Adolf Hitler in Germany and Benito Mussolini in Italy spent vast sums on powerful styles of architecture to bolster their images as dominant countries.
- Today, advertisers entice us with their products by the use of vivid, colourful logos and graphics. They want us to be attracted. Even individual artists have their own motives behind their art. They want to encourage us to see the world in a particular way, often to increase our appreciation of the shapes, colours and relationships that we can so easily take for granted.
Time for reflection
We are in the middle of Children’s Art Week, which actually lasts for three weeks from 29 June to 19 July. There’s a different theme for each week.
- Week 1: the natural world
- Week 2: connecting across generations
- Week 3: literacy and creative writing
The aim of each week is to encourage us to get involved in looking around. We can start right here, in this room, as we did earlier. We can progress to outdoors and look closely at the natural world that we can so easily take for granted. Finally, we can enjoy the work of artists as they offer their own spin on the sights that surround us.
Direct the children to areas of the school in which visual art is displayed.
Encourage them to look at the artwork and give careful consideration to the depth and feelings found in it. Encourage the children to be creative with their own artwork.
Song/music
‘Tidal wave’ by Doug Horley, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWfYpF40i8U (4.25 minutes long)
