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7 Things We Learnt at Village Green Schools’ Day

Metal’s Village Green arts and music event in Chalkwell Park is always preceded by a day dedicated to school kids – Village Green: Next Generation. And, this year – #VG17 – SEVEN collective was asked to take part as artist stall-holders.

Seeing as Metal have been kindly hosting our creative journal workshops for a wee while, we thought sharing some of our idea-generating techniques with local school kids was the least we could do. Eeeek!

This is what we learned:

1. Be prepared

Not just for scouts or evil lions (see the Lion King for details) getting to the park for 7:45am demanded organisational and timing skills the A-Team would be proud of.

2. Don’t get stall envy

Everyone’s Village Green stall looked glitzier than ours. Branding. Banners. Colourful whatnots. You name it, we didn’t really have it. Just us and our arty stuff. Would we be overlooked or dismissed out of hand? (See point 4).

3. Locate the coffee

See point 1. The early start plus fear of the unknown (aka children) required at least one caffeine hit. Thus, locating the Village Green coffee stand was an essential part of the set-up.

4. Proximity to the loos can be advantageous 

And, not for the reason you think. But because teachers and kids using the facilities checked us out. On their way to the loos. As they waited by the loos. On their way back from the loos. Or while lost and looking for the loos.

5. Keep calm & carry on (ideally with glitter)

As wave after wave of primary school kids and their teachers came to check out our art tables – think: mandala collage, collective doodling, and swing tag-making – it was all we could do to just muck in and make the most of it.

More gems you say? Certainly. Lost your prized sunglasses? We’ll help you find them. Want pictures of cars for your mandala collage? Coming up.

6. Kids do come out with some words of wisdom

Don’t know where to start with your art? “I just scribble ’til I think of something,” one boy told us, while getting stuck into our free range doodle roll.

And, sure enough, after a scribble or two he warmed up and started doodling like no business.

7. Our top tip: change shape

Something we found went down a treat with our mini artists was mandala collaging. Turns out eschewing the ubiquitous rectangle for a circle can help overcome placement anxiety – there’s no right or wrong way.

All in all

Village Green: Next Generation had a lot to teach us. Surprising. Rewarding. A little hot. And, at times, a bit overwhelming. But, hey, there’s nothing like learning by doing, right?!

And, we all slept very well afterwards… Thanks to Metal for the opportunity.

Keep up with SEVEN

Remember to check out our latest art work and follow our creative adventures over on Instagram.

You can also sign up to our mailing list to keep in the SEVEN loop.

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So This Happened at Leigh Art Trail…

SEVEN Show Leigh Art Trail 2017“Like looking through a window into beautiful inner landscapes…” That was just one of the reactions SEVEN’s first Leigh Art Trail show inspired.

So, five months after the SEVEN collective formed, at table seven of The Railway Hotel, we had arrived. We were number three (Planet Leasing) in the 20th Leigh Art Trail.

SEVEN’s first show

To be honest, we weren’t sure what to expect. Just how Leigh Art Trailers would react to sketchbooks as artwork was uncharted territory – plus, we were the first collective to show on the Trail.

Our journey, as some may know, started at Heidi Wigmore’s Creative Journal courses held at Chalkwell Park’s Metal. SEVEN took that premise – using tried and tested artistic techniques (or processes) to kick start creative exploration – and plumbed its potential depths.

Fortunately Heidi attended our late night showing and told us she was “…blown away…” by what we’d achieved. Phew!

From the sea to Planet Leasing

Our LAT odyssey started with the sea – it is Leigh-on-Sea after all. This loose theme, a connective thread if you will, ebbed and flowed throughout the sketchbooks.

From there, we’d come together to share in the processes and explore them individually (get the techniques we used here). The results? Often unexpected. Always wildly different.

Once finished the journals were presented on a special table – trestle legs supplied by Metal – and held in place with striped ribbon, ready for public perusing. People were invited to turn and touch the pages. We encouraged questions. Kids could have a go in our community sketchbook.

What Leigh Art Trailers said

Many were drawn to a particular book or technique. Others were hurriedly box-ticking their way round the Trail. And a few left befuddled.

Other visitors became immersed in the depth and breadth the books had to offer. One or two said they felt as if they were looking through our personal thoughts. At least one person reckoned someone’s shell sketches were a bit Freudian…

Some even took the time to leave a comment in our book or on social media:

“This is absolutely fantastic – I love the connection between each of the books, yet there is so much diversity within them, as well.” – Cat

“Like looking through a window into beautiful inner landscapes. Totally joyful.” – Jen & Xian

“Fantastic, inspiring show.” – Heidi Wigmore

Thank you…

We thoroughly enjoyed our #LAT2017 experience. Thank you to everyone who came to see our sketchbooks, we loved having the opportunity to share our work with you.

But some special thanks must go to:

  • The dedicated and enthusiastic Leigh Art Trail organisers (all volunteers)
  • Planet Leasing for being so welcoming (and making us tea and staying late)
  • The lovely people at Metal who let us use their space (and their trestles)
  • The inspiring and supportive Heidi Wigmore
  • And, Amanda’s husband, Andrew, for his carpentry skills

Keep up with SEVEN

Remember to check out our latest art work and follow our creative adventures over on Instagram.

You can also sign up to our mailing list to keep in the SEVEN loop. We’re not sure what’s happening next, but we’ll let you know when we do!