The Children’s Art School is expanding into Huddersfield town centre bringing more opportunities for hands-on creativity to more children and young people in Kirklees.
We are very pleased to announce that we have secured funding from Kirklees Councils Arts in the Neighbourhood scheme for a 6 month residency in Huddersfield’s Byram Arcade starting in January 2017.
The organisation already provides art clubs and workshops for children and young people as well as creative days for school groups in their studios at Hope Bank Works, Honley. ‘We aim to promote and provide high quality art education for children of all ages’ says Director Chloe Williams. ‘From our Little Art Club for 2-4 year olds to our Drawing Course for teenagers and adults we have art clubs and workshops for children and young people of all ages’.
The organisation became a registered charity in May 2015 and now has 70 children a week taking part in regular hands on, creative activities.
What did your children make with their hands today?
“We are committed to promoting the value of art education for developing innovative and creative thinking skills and for developing self-confidence and well-being in our children and young people. There is an increasing concern about the amount of time our children and young people spend on screens and how they are less and less connected to their physical world.’”
Chloe says she is concerned about the myth that art education is unimportant and has no purpose. “Art education is a crucial part in the ongoing success of our creative industries. The Children’s Art School aims to unlock children’s creative potential, practical capabilities and individual problem solving skills necessary for designing, making, innovation and manufacturing.”
Chloe stresses that Art Education is not about encouraging all children to become artists or designers (although the creative industries do generate £8 million per hour and is the fastest growing sector of the British economy) but is also about equipping children with creative thinking skills that will enable them to be successful in all areas of their lives and in any career.
The 6 month residency at Byram Arcade will focus on working with local children and young people from age 3-16yrs to create a range of 2D and 3D collaborative art works which explore the history, culture and visual environment of Huddersfield, a town shaped by the creative industries. Art works created will be exhibited in a variety of spaces around Huddersfield. Earlier this year the organisation was responsible for creating paintings which now hang along the river in Holmfirth and were part of the team that created the visually spectacular Holmfirth Arts Festival Creature Carnival Parade.
“We are really excited to be setting up a space in the beautiful Byram Arcade, where we are sure creativity will flourish.”
The clubs to be offered at Byram Arcade include Little Art Club (2-4year olds), Junior Art Club (5-7yr olds) Intermediate Art Club (9-11yr olds) and Senior Art Club (12-16year olds). Some clubs will be after school and some will be part of the Saturday Art School. There will also be workshops in the school holidays.
If you are interested in what The Children’s Art School can offer your children or if you want to book a place on one of their clubs you can contact us via email- thechildrensartschool@gmail.com or through social media at fb.com/artspace.holmfirth or @artinholmfirth.
