Dragon gets students fired up to be creative
A LIFE-SIZE, fire-breathing dragon has been inspiring students at one Sheffield school.
More than 40ft long and made from 1,200 pieces of A4 paper, the dragon was designed by Yorkshire-based paper artist and illustrator, Andy Singleton as part of a cross-curriculum project at Astrea Academy.
Ahead of its unveiling, the school launched two competitions. One challenged students to use the same techniques and concepts to create their own works of art and a second saw pupils submitting a piece of creative writing inspired by the creature.
The winners of each competition were guests of honour at the official unveiling of the sculpture in the school’s library.
Saif Abdullah, 13, who won the art prize, said: “It was my first time entering an art competition. I’m passionate about drawing and sketching and I was so pleased to be able to show those skills.
“I did a quick sketch and tried out what would work and what wouldn’t. It took me hours to complete it, but I love mythical creatures, so this competition was amazing to enter. I was so proud when it was announced that I’d won. The sculpture is so huge and I was so excited when I walked through the door.”
The dragon will now be a permanent addition to the school after it was donated to the academy by Viking Direct UK, part of Office Depot Europe, which supported the £8,500 project.
Mr Singleton, who has previously created work for the likes of Harrods and Kensington Palace, said: “I’m so happy that instead of being recycled, my sculpture has found a new home.
“I saw some of the winning competition entries, which were technically impressive and the students were obviously inspired by the subject.
“My hope is that the sculpture will provide both the students and teachers with many starting points in various areas of learning, from art and design through to literature and maths.”