Midlothian Resilience Art Project
Midlothian Resilience Art Project: Coping Through Covid
Midlothian Council’s Education Service, Children’s Services, the Health and Social Care Partnership with Communities and Life Long Learning have launched the Midlothian Resilience Art Project. This is an initiative to display children’s art and written work in a virtual gallery on the council’s website, and in real life in communities around Midlothian.
The aim of the project is to encourage children and young people to reflect on how they coped during school closure, and to display their work to the wider public to promote community resilience. This project supports the key principles of Resilience and Nurture which underpin the Midlothian Health and Well Being Recovery Curriculum designed for all schools for August 2020.
How can my child and their school be involved?
Children and young people from P1-S2 can take part by creating a piece of artwork and/or short piece of writing, poetry or prose to submit to the Midlothian Resilience Art Project exhibition.
Approximately 117 pieces will be chosen and on display from the 17th September in the Virtual Gallery and the Community Gallery (it may be possible to accommodate more in the community gallery).
The Community Gallery will display chosen artwork across shop, public and community building windows with the hope of an additional outdoor gallery and the possibility of a hospital gallery. The team will try to ensure artwork remains local to the school area, but this will be dependent on gallery spaces.
Children can speak to their teachers and ask to be involved in this fantastic community project.
What are the instructions for children/young people to enter?
Submissions to the Midlothian Resilience Art Project must follow these six rules:
- Artwork with a brief descriptive statement and/or a short piece of written work (poetry or prose) should be created as an answer to the question:
What did you do to cope during lockdown 2020?
- The entries must be colourful and eye-catching
- We recommend A4 white paper for written work and A3 white paper for artwork
- The work should relate (directly or indirectly) to the 5 ways to well-being
- The first name (only), school and age of the child/young person must be written on the back of the submission.
- The deadline for entry is Wednesday 2nd September
Submitting entries for the Midlothian Resilience Art Project
Details for submitting artwork has been shared with Head Teachers, with all submissions being taken by your child’s school. The panel will select the exhibition pieces by Friday 4th September.
It is hoped that a selection of work across all year groups and all schools can be exhibited. Schools will be informed of winning students and a consent form will be shared. This must be signed by the child’s parent/guardian to allow the art work to be displayed.
All submissions will be returned to pupils via their schools.
Can my business be part of the exhibition?
Local businesses are encouraged to join in and become part of the Midlothian Resilience Art Project community exhibition, displaying artwork in their windows. If you are a, or know of any, local organisation or business that would like to offer window space for the 2 week period please get in touch with the team via Sharon.Armstrong@midlothian.gov.uk
