‘A spark I’ve not seen in weeks’ – Our arts masterclasses get top marks from local families
Almost 50 children aged 9-14 from the Wrexham area have taken part in a series of online arts masterclasses organised by Tŷ Pawb.
The 12 Criw Celf masterclasses took place over half-term following an unprecedented demand for places.
The workshops were delivered online via zoom with professional artists, Wendy Connelly, Honor Pedican, Melissa Rodrigues and Menai Rowlands.
Art packs containing all the materials needed to take part were distributed to all the participants ahead of the workshops.
Artistic techniques explored included printmaking, stencils & papercraft, 3D character design, textiles, watercolours, 3D den making and oil portraits.
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A national scheme to nurture young talent
Criw Celf is an art project devised by Gwynedd Council in 2007 and has since expanded across north Wales and into other parts of Wales.
It is part of a national scheme to nurture young talent in the visual Arts and is funded by the Arts Council of Wales.
The aim of the project is to give young people who have shown talent and a special interest in art a chance to develop their skills and experiences.
For the past two years the Criw Celf workshops have been held at Tŷ Pawb’s learning studios.
Despite the classes moving online this year it’s safe to say they proved to be just as popular as ever with a huge demand for places, 44 children taking part in total and some glowing reviews from children and parents.
‘I just love the inspiration it has given her’
Here are just some of the wonderful comments we received:
“As a parent may I just say how refreshing it was to see my child using other skills, aside from the continual, motionless, screen staring that is the everyday at the moment. He was more motivated and engaged than I have seen him for a long time, and the creativity involved obviously stimulated him mentally. He was tired at the end of each day, but eager to start again the next.”
“Thank you to Wendy who was so enthusiastic with the children and an inspiration to them and us adults. Can’t wait to learn more new skills in the coming days”
“I just love the inspiration it has given her. A spark I’ve not seen in a few weeks.”
“I wanted to thank everyone involved for some amazing creative workshops during such a difficult time. It definitely helped us enjoy half term.”
“Thanks so much for organising such a fantastic event. He really enjoyed taking part and he’s continued to use his art pack and practice the skills he learnt last week.”
“Thank you for such an enjoyable experience. The quality of the resources provided and the actual workshops themselves were amazing and my daughter loved every minute. Such an enjoyable experience at a very difficult time.”
“She has always loved art but you have introduced her to a whole new range of ideas that she had never even considered and now wants to try again.”
“I enjoyed… Being able to see different types of art techniques, seeing other people on zoom and seeing what jobs/ future I could have with different artists.”
“I enjoyed how well the artist explained it. I liked all of the days but my favourite was making the glove monster. I really liked the sewing and using my imagination to create the monster.”
“I really enjoyed the 3d paper model and learning how to use oils paints. I have never tried these techniques before and will start to do so now – I have ordered some oil paints to start.”
“Learning new techniques and making things using different ideas, it was also good to have the whole day doing art.”
‘Huge credit must go to the artists and the staff team’
Lead Member for People – Communities, Partnerships Public Protection and Community Safety, Cllr Hugh Jones said: “The Criw Celf half-term workshops have become one of the highlights of Tŷ Pawb’s annual arts programme for young people with a huge demand for spaces each year and a proven track record for helping to nurture creative talents and open doors to other opportunities.
“Huge credit must go to the artists and staff team for organising such a successful series of workshops amidst the challenges of the pandemic.
“It’s clear from the feedback received that this year’s online workshops have been a huge hit with children and parents and I hope this will inspire the participants to continue exploring their potential and get involved with other arts activities at Tŷ Pawb.”
