OUR MAY ART COURSE

We’re so pleased your child will be joining us on our next course!

Here’s a bit more information about what to expect, what they should wear and what to bring.

We believe that everyone is born creative, but that artistic skill can be developed through great teaching and plenty of encouragement. Each child will have their own way of expressing themselves artistically, so there is no one particular goal that we will be pointing them towards. Instead, we'll be equipping them with the tools they need to create the art they want to produce:

a knowledge of how to use different mediums
an understanding of different artistic styles and processes
the confidence to experiment and use their imagination

They might not produce a perfect result, but the journey is more important when you’re learning. So we celebrate progress, expression, and individuality. Above all, we believe art should be fun and enrich your life. So we’ll do our best to ensure they have a great time!

The Course: 3 sessions, two and a half hours a day, for 3 days

Each session involves an art activity, and a craft. The children will work in two groups: one group doing the art activity and one doing the craft. We have a refreshments break part-way through the afternoon, after which they swap over and do the activity they haven’t yet done. If they’re a fast worker, they might have time for an additional activity, but we encourage them not to rush their work.

Our team will be on hand throughout the afternoon to help your child and encourage their creativity. We find the time passes very quickly and not everyone finishes their work, but they can take it home to finish off.

We're going to have lots of fun drawing, painting and making, all on the theme of Woodland Creatures!

Here’s what we have planned for this October ….

Day 1 : Acrylic Painting and Making Mosaics

Painting woodland animals in acrylics (eg. fox, badger, squirrel, hedgehog)
Making a mosaic snail or other creature

Day 2 : Watercolour Magic & Button Owls

Watercolour woodland with wax resist tree trunks and little creatures peeping out from behind trees
An owl made from buttons on a wooden board

Day 3 : Colourful Collage and 3 Dimensional Masks

We’ll be creating a wood pigeon collage with an autumnal background and making 3D animal faces using coloured card

Your child will return home with new skills and ideas that they can continue using for the rest of half term and beyond!

What to Bring and What to Wear

All art materials and refreshments are included, so your child does not have to bring anything. However, if they have any food allergies they may prefer to bring their own snack and/or drink. They might like to have their own water bottle to sip throughout the session, but please make sure it’s labelled with their name.

* Please do not send your child with fizzy drinks or glass bottles. *

Your child can wear whatever they are comfortable in, but please make sure they don't wear anything they wouldn't want to get paint on. Charcoals, pastels and inks can stain a bit, and acrylic paint is insoluble once dry, so it's virtually impossible to remove from fabric. We have aprons they can wear, but there is still a chance their clothes will get damaged with paint, glue or inks. We cannot take responsibility for damage to clothing or personal property... art is a messy business!

I’d like one of those please!

If your child would like some fun Art For Life Academy merchandise, we have a selection of items you might find useful, including aprons, stickers, water bottles, caps and drawstring bags. Please order those from our shop below. Orders can take up to 14 days to arrive, and will be delivered to your home address.

Academy Shop

Meet the Team

Alison
Diane
Ginny
Louisa
Chantal
Vicky
Emma
Jo

Your Child's Safety and Wellbeing

Every member of our team is experienced in working with children and teaching art. They have been carefully selected for their friendly and supportive approach, as well as their artistic ability. There will be at least 2 members of the team in the room at all times. Each member of the team has had a DBS check, and has a good knowledge of our safeguarding procedures.

However it's important for you to know that as we only run sessions in school holidays, we are not permitted to request Enhanced DBS checks for any team members who don't already have one. So your child's participation is on the understanding that you consent to their attendance knowing that the provision of these classes is an informal arrangement and our team members have not been formally assessed by Art For Life for their suitability to work with children. Your child’s safety and wellbeing is of the utmost importance to us and we are confident that our team is trustworthy - we're just not able to register as an official childcare provider, due to the 'occasional' nature of our courses.

All staff are familiar with our safeguarding policy, and have been trained in our procedures.
We adhere to the recommended adult:child ratios, which vary depending on the ages of the children in attendance.
We have a signing in and out policy, and will ask you for the names of people who are permitted to take your child home.
We will send you a ‘Student Information’ form prior to the start of the course, so that you can tell us anything we need to know about medical issues, allergies, care needs, SEN details etc. This information will be kept confidential among the team members, in accordance with our GDPR policy.
We have public and employers liability insurance, and two of our team are trained first aiders.
The venue has been risk assessed to ensure the team are aware of possible hazards and how to mitigate them. The venue has step free access and individual toilets, including a disabled toilet.
The children will not be permitted to use mobile phones in class, but they can leave them with us at the door for safekeeping until the end of the session.

If you have any concerns, please speak to Alison Carpenter, our Safeguarding Lead.

Behaviour

Our classes are designed to be enjoyable and fun for everyone. We outline our expectations and safety rules at the start of the course, and remind the children of these should the need arise. If, in the unlikely event it becomes clear that we cannot safely care for your child or ensure the safety or wellbeing of the other students as a result of your child's behaviour, we reserve the right to contact you for immediate collection of your child. In extreme cases, they will not be permitted to attend the remainder of the course, and we will refund you for the remaining days that they will miss. However, we believe they will be so engaged in making wonderful artworks that this is unlikely to be an issue!

Cancellation Policy

You may cancel your child's place and receive a full refund up to 14 days prior to attendance. Unfortunately we are unable to offer refunds for cancellations within 14 days of the course. However, in the event of illness we can transfer your booking to a future course if you wish.