Tapestries, tiles, stained glass windows and famous typefaces have all been made in Birmingham. The city’s rich arts and crafts heritage has also inspired a forward-looking exhibition of primary school-aged children’s contemporary artworks, Workshop of the World, now open at Ikon Gallery.
On the first wall is ‘Birmingham Type’, a striking collection of black and white foam block prints, each framing a letter from the word Birmingham, which is repeated across 5 rows, and mounted in yellow, like pages from a book.
It was created by Year 5 students at Brownmead Primary Academy, Shard End, who first explored the cultural legacy of typography and print in Birmingham. Working with local artist Ruby Lewis, they were introduced to John Baskerville’s 18th-century typeface and traditional letterpress printing techniques, before crafting their own designs.
Next, the students were invited to think about the past, present and future of Birmingham, which is reflected in their final designs. Devising and printing their own distinctive fonts for each letter, they then added decorative elements around the edges: flowers, light bulbs, flying keys and architectural elements.
“This is Birmingham from a child’s point of view”, says their teacher Sharon Price, whose brought her class to the show’s opening. “It’s been good for them to learn about the city’s history and look at what’s changed. It got their imagination going.”
Some of the young artists in attendance comment that they loved learning about Baskerville and local history for the first time, although “The most fun part was printing with ink”. The group agrees that they “feel proud to have work in a gallery”. Another student pipes up: “Birmingham’s future is flying cars”.
There’s a real confidence in the way that these children stand in the gallery, speaking about their collaborative artwork. This has been a key aim for Creative Connections, who have developed a year-long partnership between a consortium of greater Birmingham schools, a group of local artists and Ikon Gallery for this ambitious exhibition.
Creative Connections Project Manager Clair Madkins tells me: “At the start, the children were full of emotions. They were anxious and nervous about being creative. But they’ve been on a year-long journey, through which they’ve become empowered, gained self-confidence, and blossomed. They’ve been allowed to be free”.
Helping them to find that freedom has been a group of local artist-educators. Among them, ceramicist and printmaker Ayesha Bibi worked with various schools, including Bromley Pensnett’s Year 3s. She introduced them to the city’s Victorian architecture, built into Ikon’s own facade, and taught them about Birmingham’s past status – as a ‘workshop of the world’.
“The children were taken aback by Birmingham’s local history and makers”, she says. They also loved experimenting, not with pens and pencils, but various printmaking and early photographic techniques. A series of their cyanotypes shimmer, with white shapes floating on beautiful blue backgrounds, embodying a cosmic, otherworldly quality.
After collecting everyday objects, and laying them thoughtfully on photosensitive paper, the young artists had to wait for the paper to develop under sunlight. They were delighted by the “magic trick”, which was a “heartwarming” moment for Bibi. She also told me that a lot of the children had never been to a gallery before, so knowing that their work was going to be exhibited in one was “really special” for them.
Other exhibition highlights include a trio of felt tapestries, inspired by Mary J. Newill, a Birmingham-based Arts and Crafts artist. Working with artist Zarah Hutton Year 3s from The Oval Primary School transformed shapes from nature into intricate stained glass designs in the style of gothic windows.
Stretching across another wall is an expansive painting and textile piece executed in fiery oranges, reds and yellows by Year 2s at Hillstone Primary School, Shard End. First, they worked with Creative Connections co-founder, teacher and musician, Keith Farr, to develop their own musical composition, before responding to it with artist Sarah Hamilton-Baker. Using handmade brushes, built from found objects, they layered colour in gestural marks.
“There’s so much pressure on kids today but in the arts, they can express themselves and be in control”, Farr says. “The arts have been marginalised in schools, but children deserve a rich arts curriculum, to work with professionals, and see art become real.”
Expertly curated by Ikon’s education team, this colourful show of large-scale works doesn’t stand separate from Ikon’s wider exhibition programme, but is a critical part of it. Bridging past and present, the children’s artworks connect deeply to Birmingham’s Arts and Crafts traditions, while looking forward.
As well as creating collaborative artworks, the young artists have produced poetry about Birmingham, which reveals how they perceive their homecity: “Grubby, expanding, new, old, no whining, bold, busy, breathing, significant.”
Over 800 children from 16 regional primary schools participated in creative sessions, culminating in Workshop of the World. The exhibition is free to visit and runs until 23 July, open Tue-Sun, 11am-5pm at Ikon Gallery. This project has been generously supported by Creative Connections.
Find out more about Ikon’s Schools Offer here.
