Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
It’s all colour in the playground
Pupils at St Patrick’s Primary were jumping for joy after their artistic neighbours added a splash of colour to the playground of the Coatbridge school.
Students from the NQ art and design course at the next- door Coatbridge campus of New College Lanarkshire designed and repainted a large storage container in the grounds, used to house play equipment.
Youngsters and staff at the school chose their favourites – featuring work by Airdrie student Emily Kay, 19, and classmates Paddi Tomlinson, Angela McCormack and Daniel Mellon – which the college team then brought to life.
Head teacher Jacqueline Haggerty said: “We’re thrilled with the work carried out by the art students – the container base has been transformed into a much talked-about piece which visitors admire.
“We enjoyed working so closely with the college and look forward to more collaborative work in the future.”
The project allowed the art students to try their hand at a live design project, meeting pupils and teachers to find out about their ideas and then devising designs to meet the specified themes of fun, play, outdoor education and eco-living.
Art lecturer Simone Williams Orr, who helped the students paint the artwork along with staff members Sheila Boyle and Thom Rees, added: “All the designs were of a fantastic quality and the school was really pleased with the creativity shown.
“It was a great experience for all students to work with an external client and develop artwork that can be viewed by the public; and we hope to continue building relationships with the wider community and engage students outwith the classroom.”