Schools' major exhibition of work

Bexhill's primary schools will be contributing to a major exhibition of work at the pavilion.

The exhibition - Working Our Way - is being presented at the pavilion in partnership with the Bexhill Schools' Consortium and Creative Partnerships, Hastings and East Sussex.

The exhibition will be previewed from 5pm to 6.30pm next Friday.

Working Our Way is subtitled Creative Journeys in Education.

Schools taking part are St Mary Magdalene's, Pebsham, All Saints, Little Common, Sidley County Primary, St Peter and St Paul's, Chantry and King Offa.

The De La Warr Pavilion Partnership says: "As part of a season of work in the galleries curated and created by local young people, Gallery 2 will be transformed into a playful environment that will stimulate all creative minds.

"The De La Warr Pavilion has worked closely with their partners and teachers at all the schools over past three months to present this lively exhibition.

"Working Our Way looks at the role of creativity in the current development within local and national education, and the Key Skills and Learning Journeys approach of Bexhill Primary Schools.

"In recent years there have been many changes within our schools and in attitudes towards teaching and learning. The status of creativity within education has risen considerably as we explore how a creative approach can enhance learning across the curriculum and provide a more rounded preparation for today's world.

"The exhibition will present and celebrate work created by young people in Bexhill's Primary Schools to explore and illustrate some of these exciting developments.

"Students from participating school will be acting as facilitators within the exhibition on various days."

A special event entitled What Is Creative Education? will be staged on Tuesday, May 22.

The one-day seminar for teachers, artists and other professionals working with children and young people is free.

Meanwhile, Conflict, created and curated by young people, will be featured at the pavilion from next Saturday until June 3.

For the month the pavilion will be presenting in its galleries work created and curated by local students, in partnership with Bexhill schools and Bexhill College.

A De La Warr Pavilion Trust spokesman said: "This is a ground-breaking pilot scheme of an out- of -hours school project devised by the De La Warr Pavilion and the schools and, as such, is unique to the Pavilion and to Bexhill.

"The project represents a serious commitment from both the Pavilion and the students themselves to put on a major exhibition in a nationally-acclaimed gallery.

"Now, almost at the end of a three-month process, sixteen young people - our Young Curators - all of whom are studying GCSE or A level art, will create an exhibition selected from work created by their peers to be presented in Gallery 1.

"The title of the exhibition is Conflict.

"Using their newly-acquired skills, the Young Curators have selected work that ranges from conflicts of ideologies and societies to personal conflicts within identity, relationships, dreams and emotions. They have also pursued the idea of how conflict can exist within art and creative ideas.

"Facilitating the group is Hastings-based artist Sharon Haward, who many local artists will know as the leader of the highly successful CCE Visual Arts courses at the Pavilion."

Polly Gifford, DLWP's Head of Education, leads the project with contributions from Celia Davies, Head of Exhibitions and other members of the DLWP team, all of whom have extensive experience in all aspects of mounting and presenting a major exhibition.

In Gallery 2 there will be a complementary exhibition presented in partnership with the Bexhill Schools Consortium, which will feature work from all Bexhill Primary Schools.

The Young Curators are: Talia Bingham, Issac Howie-Brewerton, Chelia Batkin, Rob Lovis,

Rebecca Hone, Amy Rademaker, Chloe Chandler, Hannah Field, Gemma Maynard Finola Maynard, Arianna Schuler-Scot, Tomasz Szulinski, Hannah Kynock, Sinead O' Brien,

Francesca Halligan and Alisha Patel.

Arianna Schuler Scott said: "The Young Curators has been a fantastic experience'¦I didn't realise how much went into it. I will not forget it!"

Issac Howie-Brewerton said: "It has been unmissable. I have learnt vital skills that will help me in my future career and in later life."

Tomaz Szulinski said: "It has been amazing to become a young curator for a professional exhibition, especially in so well known a place like the De La Warr Pavilion.

The De La Warr Pavilion is open seven days a week, from 10am until 6pm. Admission is free.

Families are welcome

Information : 01424 229111 or www.dlwp.com