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PROGRAMME GUIDE: ART WORKSHOPS

Would you like the participants to draw, paint or use mixed media? Perhaps you'd prefer them to create small sculptures. Whichever approach or medium you employ it's bound to prove successful. In preparing for the workshop you might like to choose a specific 'story' on which to focus. At the beginning of the session you can set the scene with a brief discussion about that story. Sharing impressions will refresh memories, generate new ideas and stimulate creativity.

kids drawing

Below are seven art projects inspired by individual stories found in JUST IMAGINE. You will find questions and ideas to discuss at the start of your session along with suggestions for some corresponding activities.

THE MYSTERY BOX

Do you remember putting your hands through the holes in the Mystery Box? You felt some kind of creature hidden inside. What did you feel? Was it smooth, rough or maybe both? How would you describe it? What do you think it eats?

Draw, paint or sculpt what you think the animal looked like. If you only had time to put your hand through one or two holes it doesn't matter - you can start by drawing that part of the body and then imagine the rest of it. You can even invent a brand new creature that nobody has ever seen before!

child's drawing of box Mystery Box: by Chantelle aged 8
child's drawing of underwater Octopus: by Rehan aged 9

PICKLE ISLAND PICK-UP

Let's discuss the story that Jo is writing, 'PICKLE ISLAND PICK-UP'. Who are the characters in it? What happens in Jo's story? What kind of junk did Daniel and Chief Octavio pick up from the bottom of the ocean?

Imagine you are like Daniel, also helping Chief Octavio to clean up the garbage from the ocean around Pickle Island. What is your job? What garbage do you pick-up? Paint the scene and be sure to include yourself, Chief Octavio and some of the junk you found!

THE TALKING EAR

What did you hear coming from the inside of the big purple ear? Who was speaking? Why could you see a light?

Pretend you are a tiny (microscopic) insect crawling around on top of, or inside the body. It's the very first time you have attempted such an adventurous expedition. How big does everything look? What part of the body do you explore first? What do the toes or the brain look like and what do you call them in your insect language? When you crawl inside the mouth what do you find? Choose something you saw on your expedition and draw it for everyone else to see.

sculpture of ear
metal sculpture of dar flying

THE FLYING DREAM

Remember the whirly-gig inside JUST IMAGINE? When you pressed the pedal you could make the child fly over the rooftops, over a tree, a dog and some people. Do you remember the empty bed? It was different on each side. Do you recall how it was different?

The whirly-gig represents a dream that Dar Churcher used to have when she was a child. (Dar is the person who created JUST IMAGINE). The sculpture of the person flying in the air is meant to be Dar - she was the only person in her dreams that could fly. It took a lot of energy, but she could escape into the air if anyone was chasing her!

Have you ever had a flying dream? Have you had any other kinds of unusual or bizarre dreams? As you know, almost anything can happen in our dreams. Let's paint our own dreams.
Choose one of these: a) a 'flying' dream; b) any unusual dream you remember having, or c) a 'day' dream you make up now.

THE NOSE MUSEUM

The Royal Nose Museum has a lot of different noses on display. What do you think is the world's largest nose? How about the smallest nose? What is the most unusual-looking nose?

Using the clay, create the noses of 3 different animals. When completed, we will put all the noses together to create a display for our very own Nose Museum! What should we call our Nose Museum?

nose sculptures from the nose museum
flying carpet sculpture

THE MAGIC CARPET

Did you see a Magic Carpet inside JUST IMAGINE? Who was on it? How high were they flying? Was anyone on the ground below them? What was the weather like? Now I'm going to give each of you a surprise - a wonderful invisible gift - a Magic Carpet!

Pretend that as soon as you touch the Magic Carpet, you can see it! The amazing thing is that nobody else can see your Magic Carpet except you! What colours and patterns are on your carpet? How big is it? Now imagine you can fly anywhere in the world on your carpet. Where would you travel to first? How long does it take you?

Draw a picture of yourself either flying or landing at your destination. Are you alone? Does anyone come to greet you? Make a picture showing one of these: a) only the fabulous magic carpet, b) you and your Magic Carpet or c) you, the Magic Carpet and anyone or anything else you see around you.

JUST IMAGINE

I wonder how many different animals you saw inside Just Imagine? Can you tell me what you saw? (They include a blackbird, fish, armadillo, octopus, cow, cat, dog, hedgehog, butterfly, hare, tortoise and penguin).

Choose two animals you liked best. Close your eyes and pretend you're having lots of fun playing a game with them. Is the game inside or outside? Do you need to use anything to play the game - a ball, a board or something else? Is the game one you usually like to play or is it a new game you just made up between the three of you? Make a drawing showing the game you and your two friends are playing.


penguin sculpture
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