Home » News » Yarm Pupils’ Artwork Brings Festive Cheers To High Street

Yarm Pupils’ Artwork Brings Festive Cheers To High Street

Yarm Pupils’ Artwork Brings Festive Cheers To High Street

Yarm School pupils have unveiled half a dozen captivating art displays in shop windows on Yarm’s High Street for shoppers to enjoy during the Christmas period.

Pupils from Nursery to Year Six have produced the works, based around the theme of Christmas movie classics. Most of the art was created in activity sessions, after school clubs and Prep School art classes with Rachel Shepherd, Yarm Prep School Art Lead, heading the project in collaboration with local artist and former pupil, Jessica Jenyns.

Each window depicts a different Christmas film, including many family favourites from over the years – and demonstrates a range of artistic techniques and skills, including realistic drawings using sketching pencils, pastel drawings, acrylic and gouache painting, sculpture using mediums including ceramics, and many more!

Year Six pupils from the Ceramics Club (aged 10-11 years old), have expertly sculpted Christmas trees, snowmen, and snow dogs to represent figures used in the 1982 animated film, The Snowman. A long process, which requires attention to detail, saw the clay modelled, air dried and then put in the kiln to be bisque fired at around 1000 degrees centigrade. The children then glazed their sculptures which were fired for a second time to create the beautiful colourful glossy finish. Above the ceramic snowmen who are embraced in the party below, hangs a model of the Snowman himself. This was created using chicken wire and papier mache which was embellished with fluffy snow.

Three separate art groups embarked on a collaborative project to create installations resembling the 2004 blockbuster, The Polar Express, which can be seen in the windows at Dream Doors. Year Four pupils (aged 8-9) focused on one point perspective when drawing images of the iconic train. This was then followed up with drawings by Nursery pupils (aged 3-4), who added passengers to the carefully crafted carriages. The Community Art Club then rounded off the display by adding jingle bells using air drying clay.

Mr Bill Sawyer, Head of Yarm Prep School, said: “We are always delighted to work in partnership with our local community, which on this occasion has seen shops on Yarm’s high street display some fantastic artwork that has been produced by some of our pupils.

“Pupils from our Nursery and Prep School have worked incredibly hard in a number of different artistic media to create six stunning pieces that I’m sure are going to bring a visual festive treat to the Christmas shoppers this December.”

Oliva, age 10, said: “It’s much more enjoyable sharing our artwork where members of the public can see it instead of it being in a book!”

Leanne Clack, owner of Rise Reformer Pilates said: “We have a super relationship with the Yarm School community which is why we are delighted to be supporting the school with this project.

“We have already had so many people wandering up and down the high street and having a look through the window to check out the impressive display.”

The Christmas artworks can be seen in the windows of Caffe Nero, Dream Doors, Rude Grooming, Rise Pilates, The Bull, and Finzi. Follow Yarm School’s social media to see more!

Sixth Form Open Evening Join us on Thursday 14th November at 6pm to find out why Yarm is the area's leading Sixth Form.

Find out more Close