The Way People Look

Throughout Autumn 2009 I have been involved in Watch this Space 6, an Engage and MLA funded professional development programme for teachers and gallery educators.

The programme's objective was to enable us to gain first-hand experience of each other’s work in order to initiate, build and sustain relationships that will contribute to the creative development of young people. As part of this I negotiated a placement with Esher CofE High School as a representative of two stitched-based organisations, the Embroiderer’s Guild and the Royal School of Needlework (RSN). I was tasked as an enabler, with helping to forge relationships between the school and these local cultural institutions, whilst finding new, fun and interactive ways for the students to learn about contemporary embroidery which might fulfill curriculum requirements. This included a series of cross-curricular workshops and a visit to the RSN, the opportunity to examine contemporary textile work, participate in a practical activity and to meet practicing artists.

The students at Esher CofE High produced some amazing work and we all had a lot of fun!