The Ruskin Gallery welcomed over 2000 visitors in September and October, including local schoolchildren and contemporaries of Cambridge School of Art alumnus Syd Barrett.

To support its outreach activities, the Ruskin Gallery received funding from Cambridge City Council and Enquire, an organisation which aims to promote learning through galleries. This support enabled us to run activities for local schools as part of the Sara Fanelli 'Pinocchio' exhibition. Five schools signed up with classes of thirty children taking part in sessions of songs and storytelling delivered by Cambridge School of Art staff member Mick Gowar. The children were then able to explore their own creativity using the paper, wood and shapes that are part of the exhibition. The workshops lasted for two hours and were enjoyed by children and teachers alike.

MT Brankin, a teacher from St Laurence's Primary School Cambridge, said: 'Super Exhibition - very interactive and thoroughly enjoyed by all the year 1/2s at St. Laurence Primary! Thank you!'

The Ruskin Gallery aims to provide a space that a wide range of people are able to enjoy. Gallery Curator and Outreach Co-ordinator Jo Clemance who organised the Pinocchio events and the Urban Origami activity as part of The Big Draw explains the Gallery's vision:

'Thanks to Enquire and Cambridge City Council, we were able to hold these activities to bring together local primary school children, our staff and students, teachers, parents, Kettle's Yard, Wysing Arts Centre and first-time visitors to the Ruskin Gallery in a wonderfully creative arena of thought and fun. My aim for future is that the Ruskin Gallery becomes a regular and friendly destination for such creative connections.'

The Ruskin Gallery team would like to thank colleagues and student ambassadors from the Widening Participation team who supported the outreach work.


The Drawing's on the Wall

Also as part of The Big Draw, Cambridge School of Art joined up with the Fitzwilliam Museum to create a 25x3 metre mural on the theme of fabulous beasts. The public were encouraged to draw creatures from the museum collection and then to develop their drawing into a design that could be added to the mural. Illustration students were on hand to draw with the public in the galleries, to help develop the designs in the studio and to add the designs to the mural, hand lettering the names of the beasts and their creators on the mural itself.

The Fitzwilliam estimate that there were about 170 children participating on the day, with contributors spanning all ages. At the time of writing the mural remains on display in the seminar room at the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Contact Pam Smy for further details.

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