THE NEW BRITISH NAIVES TAKE UP THE B.B.C. "BIG ARTS WEEK"

Sponsored by the BBC and The Arts Council, the Big Arts Week took place throughout the land during mid June this year.  Artists from all disciplines, including the performing arts, and from all over the country, went into their local Primary and Secondary schools, and in collaboration with their hosts, worked with groups of children on an agreed theme or project.

It was an inspirational experience for all who participated.  Support packs were issued to both parties prior to the event, and artists were matched to their hosts by computer.  The whole affair was a painless masterpiece of organization, and is to be repeated as an annual event in the future.

Projects were as varied as the artists, and the New British Naives were delighted to become involved in their respective schools, and were welcomed as artists who have taught themselves to paint the hard way – long after they had left school! 

Mister Denham spent two days with a group of fourteen year olds in a London Secondary school, working with acrylics on individual narrative paintings on the theme: “The Happiest Moment in my Life”. Click here to see Mister Denham back at school

The pupils were put in a situation where they did not have to perform to exam syllabus standards, and the results were an outstanding collection of delightful paintings.  Mike Trumble and Mervyn Clingan filmed the final session, for inclusion in the documentary on Naïve Art, currently being made in collaboration with MisterDenham.com.

Frank Smith spent a whole week in his local Primary school in Birmingham, and worked with groups of children, showing them how to use watercolours, and to paint carefully.  He prepared original line drawings for the children to work from, and became quite a personality within the school during his residency. Click here to see Frank Smiths children's work  

Derek Homer worked in his local Secondary school in Dorset, and with a group of pupils, planned out a twenty-foot mural within the building of the school, which they then began to paint.

The scale of the project meant that it was impossible to finish within the time available, and it will be completed during next term.  We hope to bring you photographs when it is finished.

Dean Williams also worked in his local Secondary school in Leicester, and in collaboration with the school’s Art Department, undertook a three-dimensional assemblage on an eight -by - four-foot baseboard.  The scale of this project also meant that it will have to be finished later, and we will keep you posted of developments later.