Students get creative with graffiti
FAIRFIELD High School (FHS) is working in collaboration with Graffarty and the Creative Youth Network to deliver a graffiti course, designed to grow students’ confidence, encourage communication and expression through art, and to aid relaxation.
The 10-week course aims to be particularly effective for those students finding it difficult to engage in school, with the traditional five hours a day in the classroom proving challenging. This form of engagement provides a welcome variation to the school day, with the young people finding team bonding, communication and creativity to be hugely beneficial.
The course involves the use of different techniques, often starting with the painting of students’ own names onto canvas using stencils, water based paint and pen. This free flow continues, with students choosing to create whatever takes their fancy; the result being different patterns, shapes, animals or galaxies – there are no set rules.
Steve Fitzpatrick from Graffarty said: “In addition to individual pieces of art, we encourage the young people to embark on group activities, such as spray painting plastic wrap or vinyl bands. We also have grand plans for creating a striking mural of a waterfall.”
Mason Somerville, the school’s achievement coordinator, said: “These graffiti courses are highly effective for engaging those students who may not respond particularly well to the traditional school model.
“Whilst they still have the majority of their week in lessons, they look forward to these few hours where they become lost in the world of art, creating unique pieces which they are then encouraged to take home and enjoy with their families.”