For the first time in my teaching career, I got to attend the Scottish Learning Festival, albeit in the capacity of contributer to a stand as opposed to attendee. A colleague and I were showcasing a fantastic cross-curricular project we had done on ‘Anti-Sectarianism’. It was an interesting experience and the chance to talk to, and listen to, a whole range of people ( never mind a chance to grab as many ‘freebies’ as possible).

It was disappointing that I came across so few secondary teachers. The majority of those I spoke to were from the primary sector and I wonder if budget restraints had kept many away. It’s a pity really that not every teacher can get the chance to visit one of these events at some point – if only to have a nose at what other people are doing.

There was a fantastic section which evolved as the day went on – a wall of cartoon images created on site – each cartoon having been produced on a flip chart page, then displayed once finished. A load of post-its and pens had been left and people encouraged to ‘post’ comments on a cartoon of their choice. Topics included ‘A Curriculum for Excellence Needs…’ It was an fantasic way to start discussion and the comments ranged from sensible, to quite defensive to very funny! I loved the idea behind it and definately see this kind of thing being used in my classroom in the near future. It could be a great lesson starter to get minds quickly into a particular mode of thinking, or even better, a great way to start written tasks where pupils could comment on art and design work and then these comments are taken to further discussion. Immediate reactions are a wonderful thing and often I think some pupils get bogged down with thinking about a task too much – this could be a great way of avoiding that in the initial stages of a task. I’ll let you know how I get on…

It was a long day, but I’ve come home with a few ideas and loads of ‘packs’. Boy, is networking tiring! Shame it took over 2 hours to get home and thanks, Brian, for the company and the driving!

If you live anywhere near Edinburgh, a fantastic place to visit is Bonnington House. This is home to Jupiter Artland, a contemporary sculpture garden which is set in its grounds.

Being an Art & Design teacher, it’s always great to visit galleries and exhibitions, but seeing sculpture set in an open environment lets you experience the artworks in a different way. I’m quite a tactile person, so always want to touch and feel. There’s been many a time I’ve felt the urge to touch something in a gallery, knowing full well if I did, a penalty would be paid. This park however is set up in such a way that you tramp around the open spaces, as well as small woods, exploring the environment and finding sculptures (that you can touch and climb on!). It’s great for kids and there seems nothing too precious about what you find. From the soothing land forms by Charles Jencks, to the fascinating ‘Firmament’ sculpture by Antony Gormley and the quite haunting ‘Weeping Girls’ by Laura Ford, there is something for everyone.

It’s well worth a visit, if only to get some fresh air then stop for a cup of tea and cake. Just one word of warning – there’s a rather friendly peacock who seems to have a passion for cake…

If ever there was a showcase for Scotland’s emerging young artistic talent, the annual SQA Art & Design exhibition is it.

This year, a selection of work produced for the 2008 National Courses in Art & Design will be shown at three major exhibitions. The range of work this year promises to include paintings, sculpture, design, ceramics, fashion and jewellery.

The standard is always fabulous, the creativity and imagination on view amazing. So if you’ve never been, it’s well worth a visit.

Around 180 Higher exhibits will be shown in The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh from the 15th October – the 6th November.

Over 100 works, including those produced for Standard Grade, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2 and Higher will be shown at The People’s Palace, Glasgow from the 1st December – 16th January.

Advanced HIgher work will be exhibited for the first time at The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh from the 22nd January – the 19th March.

Flyer for SQA Art Exhibition