The secondary curriculum review
Backwell School is an 11-18 semi-rural school of 1,650 pupils situated about 7 miles outside Bristol. It is a Specialist School focusing on visual and performing arts.
The revised programme of study provided the art department with the opportunity and encouragement to exploit emerging technologies. The department already used ICT to manipulate images and decided to extend this to allow pupils to make connections with some of the latest contemporary practices in the arts.
The school decided to work with an innovative new technology that converts physical movement into digital information to create sound and digital projections. The project involved collaboration between the art and dance departments. Together they created an installation of interactive digital projections triggered by a dance performance.
The art and dance teachers agreed to focus the work on rhythm and the formal elements involved in creating it. Common starting points were identified in which pupils worked to transform ordinary objects with both visual and aural qualities.
In the opening stages of the project, pupils from both disciplines worked together. They then went on to develop their ideas within their own discipline. This meant the work had explicit subject-based learning outcomes. The pupils came together again towards the end of the project to discuss what they had done and to prepare for the final performance.
In art, rhythm was explored through mark making and experimenting with the creation of lines, shapes and patterns with different dynamics, moods and spatial qualities. Pupils used a range of media and looked for visual equivalents for sounds.
In both subjects pupils were 'exploring and creating', 'analysing and reflecting'. They developed their understanding of the visual, tactile and sensory qualities of what they used by comparing and contrasting how objects and ideas were used in the two disciplines.
For the project, pupils looked at the work of artists such as Kandinsky, Klee, Jackson Pollock and Richard Long. They also looked at how western art has been influenced and enriched by many other cultures, and how in these cultures line, pattern, rhythm, dance and music are often inextricably linked.
As well as experimenting with mark making and pattern pupils used digital cameras to record and collect a range of material for their work. They took stills and made videos of the dance sequences they created.
Pupils worked with their source material in a variety of ways, using both traditional and digital media, including animation. This generated a bank of material to select and programme into the projection system. These images were used in the performance when they were integrated into the performance and manipulated by the movement of the dance.
'This unit of work provided an opportunity to work in cross-curricular ways and to explore multi-disciplinary practice in ways that mirror genuinely innovative contemporary practice. It also provided opportunities to develop key creative skills - the ability to take risks and to allow ideas to grow in ways that may not be predictable. Creating a collaborative performance developed pupils' confidence, imagination and creativity.
The staff gained many insights and inspiration from exploring language and practice that are related in the two disciplines. Other ideas are already being developed about links to sculpture. Seeing the imagery and dancers interacting was very exciting for everyone and rewarding.'
Linda Hunter (head of the art department)
'I used a 'Soundbeam' to change the background of the school hall into a completely different image. It was really amazing! When the beam had movement in front of it, it changed the image completely!'
(Nathan)
'I think using this technology was a good idea. It made learning fun. I liked the way we combined two completely different subjects.'
(Lisa)
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