Talent and inspiration take centre stage
What a night! Around 450 pupils, parents and staff attended the 2nd Wishford Art Exhibition this week, showcasing a fabulous range of artwork from pupils across Wishford’s 10 schools. Renowned artist Jenni Stuart was there to judge the entries – watercolours, acrylics, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics and even vibrantly painted furniture – something she admitted to finding extremely challenging.
This astonishing exhibition came out of a Wishford subject specialist day, when Art leads from across the group met to share inspiration and best practice. The result was a determination to celebrate the importance of Art in our schools. Cricklade Manor Prep’s Head of Art, Nicky Brookes, volunteered to spearhead the initiative, and the first Wishford Art Exhibition was hosted there last year. For 2025, it moved to the lovely Roots & Seeds Café and Kitchen in Cirencester, welcoming parents, children and staff from as far afield as Kent.
This year, the theme was Artist Inspiration, and pupils drew on an incredibly varied range of practitioners, from Cezanne and Kandinsky, to Ande Hall and Giles Ward, to create their own pieces. ‘By studying artists, pupils can learn, not just from their art, but from the time, culture and society that shaped them,’ explains Linda Bissett, Head of Art and DT at High March School. ‘This is integral to how an artist develops and works.’
As well as individual entries, there were collaborative works, including an incredible installation from Cricklade’s Year 2 pupils, inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Nicky Brookes is enthusiastic about the benefits of children working together. ‘You can create impactful pieces on a larger scale. But more importantly, it allows pupils who are less confident or skilled to experience being part of something really good.’
The quality of the art we saw speaks not only to the technical skills pupils learn, but to the focus on developing self-expression and the freedom to try new things. ‘I start with encouragement,’ says Westonbirt Prep’s Joanne Webster. ‘“That’s exciting! What do you want to explore?” I remind children that there are no mistakes in art, only discoveries.’
Huge congratulations to all the participating children, and the fantastic staff who bring out the best in them. And enormous thanks to the staff of Cricklade Manor Prep, for the considerable work in staging the exhibition. We are already looking forward to seeing what next year will bring!
