Pupils’ art exhibited at national festival thanks to university

Pupils at a city school have had their artwork and designs exhibited at a national festival thanks to the University of Derby.

More than 300 Year 8 pupils from Littleover Community School worked with academics from the university to create work, which was showcased via S.H.E.D at the recently held Timber Festival, in the National Forest.

The artwork and designs were created at workshops delivered as part of an annual event called MADfest, held by the school’s Creative Arts Faculty, that encourages young people to explore social justice issues such as climate change, through the mediums of Music, Art and Drama (MAD) and to address the relationship between creative careers, community, and society.

Recycling bins, donated by Derby City Council, were upcycled by the students with fun and creative designs to encourage members of the public to recycle.

Students also took part in a session on astrophotography, creating photographic images of the night sky using Photoshop, while discussing the effects of light pollution.

The works were then curated and showcased via S.H.E.D at the Timber Festival, which attracted an audience of more than 5,000 people.

The installation was a thought-provoking exhibit featuring artwork including podcasts, research data, design ideation and QR codes to take audiences to a range of videos about MADfest and S.H.E.D.

S.H.E.D (Social Higher Education Depot) is a research and innovation space that engages the public with lifelong learning and teaching through creative industry and cultural practice.

It is delivered by Designing Dialogue, a spin-out company from the university.

Dr Rhiannon Jones, associate professor (civic) at the University of Derby and chief executive/founder of Designing Dialogue, said: “S.H.E.D was commissioned by Wild Rumpus for Timber Festival, providing a great opportunity to bring environmental challenges to young people and together we delved into the role of design education in placemaking and the important role of people.

“The resulting installation for Timber Festival was playful and creative. It shed light on the importance of nature connected design to share information and educate others on the climate crisis.

“We were delighted to gift some of the young people and their families with tickets to join us at S.H.E.D to see their work and experience a festival, which brought new audiences to Timber Festival, while offering fun for all the family.”