Summer 2024 | HAGM | HAF Programme
Blog written by Amara, Learning & Engagement Team | @amaraatwork
Image: Dan Foley Photography
HAF is a national Department for Education funded programme that enables eligible young people to attend free activities and experiences and includes a hot lunch. You can find out more about it here.
This summer the Herbert offered 10 days of activities including workshops with professional artists such as:
· Mandip Singh Seehra: Photography
· Graham Fudger: Light Sculpture and Symmetry in Nature
· Gemma Costin: Scentscapes
· Physical Theatre: Emily Roberston of Highly Sprung
· Clare Pentlow: Paper Cutting
· Michala Gyetvai: Needle Felting
· Julia Snowdin: Community Sculpture
We explored mediums of poetry, drawing, painting, clay work, digital art, mask making, and printing, and had fun drawing inspiration from our Collecting Coventry and JOY exhibitions.
In addition to this we had 2 visits from out Curator, Ali Wells, who allowed the young people to get a closer look at some of our insect specimens. We also visited our neighbours at St Mary's guildhall to have a look at some mythical medieval creatures.
You can see more of the young people’s work on my Instagram page @amaraatwork
This summer two of our participants took part in enough sessions to complete Arts Award Explore. To create their final pieces, they reflected on the workshops, mediums and techniques they had enjoyed the most.
Thamina says “My last piece of artwork is a canvas painting of a foresty scene. This painting is both similar and contrasting with my first canvas painting. This painting mainly has dark muddy colours of green and brown. At the bottom of the canvas is long pieces of grass with flowers creating bright colours on the canvas and draws the most attention. Towards the top of the canvas is a muddy river with lily pads and a forest above it with a child in the forest”
We spoke about how the child in the field remined me of the piece Michala Gyetvai showed us in her workshop. Though Thamina didn't attend this workshop she was still able to be inspired by the pictures I shared and a chat with Libby.
Images above: Sketchbook and tactile poem by Michala Gyetvai
Libby say’s “ For my final piece I made a canvas painting using acrylic paints, I did a blue background with a pink butterfly.”
This was inspired by our session with Gemma Costin. Libby says “In this session we started by colouring butterfly wings in the colours we liked, we also had a look at some butterflies in specimen cabinets. These were brought to us by Ali, a curator at the Herbert. She looks after the natural science specimens.” Libby has a natural talent for choosing contrasting colours to make her butterfly “pop”.
We had a lot of fun and cannot wait for our Winter programme where we’ll be exploring our Microworlds Exhibition and getting crafty in an open studio.