Chester Contemporary Schools Programme

Chester Contemporary will display the work of international and Chester-based contemporary artists, including emerging artists and a creative programme with communities in the city.

This is a major new visual arts event curated by Chester-born artist Ryan Gander.

Chester Contemporary Schools Programme, in partnership with Edsential, has brought eight artists together with primary schools across the city to create artworks inspired by the rich heritage of Chester Rows as part of the cultural programme for Chester High Street Heritage Action Zone, funded by Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said:

“Chester Contemporary includes installations, events and happenings across the city and a whole element has been handed over to our artists of the future. You can find the children’s artwork side by side with local, national and international artists.

“Chester is on the international stage this autumn for our first Chester Contemporary brought together by Chester-born artist Ryan Gander.”

The full programme starting on 22 September can be seen at:

http://www.chestercontemporary.org

The pupils’ artworks will create a trail, called: ‘Looking for art on and around the Rows’ and features the following artworks: 

Mainsail

Dave Bixter & St Oswald's CE Primary School

Year 4 and 5 students from St Oswald’s CE Primary have worked with artist Dave Bixter to create a patchwork mainsail. The children used archive maps as the inspiration for their wax pencil and ink drawings on fabric, the sail combines individual drawings which explore the different shorelines along the river Dee.

Mainsail also includes an original sea shanty written and sung by the children and the artist. Scan the QR code on the artwork at Deva Travel to listen to a performance of the sea shanty.

Deva-Dee-Diver

Lucy Dentith & Belgrave Primary School

A Sea Lady emerges from the waters around Chester. She’s been on her travels and on her journey back has collected lots of seaweed and plastic. She’s weighed down with plastic and a heavy heart, both literally and metaphorically.

Inspired by Chester’s history as an important medieval port, the Year 5 pupils of Belgrave Primary School have used recycled fabric and plastic bottles, to create an installation at Pink Lettuce on Bridge Street.

Keeping You Warm and Dry

Lucy Dentith & JH Godwin Primary School

There are many different stories about the origins of Chester’s famous Rows and why they were designed in their distinctive galleried way. One theory dating from the 18th century (and mentioned by Robinson Crusoe author Daniel Defoe) is that the covered walkways allowed for people to promenade or shop whilst keeping out of the rain.

Year 5 pupils at JH Godwin Primary have created a fabric wall hanging using appliqué and felt. Students created their own fabric designs based on Chester’s distinctive Tudor architecture. The umbrella quilt can be seen in the display case outside Lowe & Sons on Bridge Street.

Willow Horse

Sarah Gallagher-Hayes & Guilden Sutton C of E Primary School

The pupils of Guilden Sutton Primary have created a beautiful life-size willow weave sculpture of a Roman horse and chariot which can be found in churchyard at St Mary’s Creative Space.

Bumpee Smoov Bumpee

Olivia Glasser & Capenhurst CE Primary School

Pupils at Capenhurst Primary School have used materials such as clay, print and card to explore the textures found in the architecture of the Rows, and sensations people experience when they eat food.

The students have imagined and created recipes and artwork for fantastic cakes inspired by the colours and textures found on the Rows, displayed at the Rainbow Tea Rooms.

Merchant Vessels

Rachel Green & Cherry Grove Primary School

Year 4 at Cherry Grove Primary School have created Merchant Vessels. In medieval times, before the river Dee silted up, ships would come to the city’s port to offload cargo from all over Europe.

The children have created 15 sculptural models on show in the display case outside Cavani (Eastgate Row), inside at Little Niki's Tea Rooms (Northgate Row) and at the Julie Colclough Gallery (Watergate Row).

The Missing Story

Neuza Morais & Grosvenor Park Academy & Dee Point Primary School

Grosvenor Park Academy and Dee Point Primary School have explored the history of Chester's Rows; with the children making up their own narrative around these unique places.  Each school has created 3D conceptual models of the Rows which you can find on display at Chester Visual Arts (CVA) in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre. Plus, an illustrated story that takes place on the Rows, which will be shared as a hardback book and a short film.

The Journey

Clare Owens & St Werburgh's & St Columba's Catholic Primary School

Pupils completes a walking journey around Chester sketching using charcoal and graphite, becoming ‘tourists’ in their own city.

The resulting work, which represents their magical journey, uses a range of 2D and 3D mixed-media approaches and can be seen at Pictura Studios on Eastgate Row.

The City Unfolds

Claire Weetman & Mickle Trafford Village School

Chester’s city centre is characterised by its secret passageways, hidden staircases, buildings on multiple levels and interesting places to be discovered. Inspired by Claire’s artist-book practice, the class have explored how to use text, image and storytelling.  They have combined those book-making elements to create their own sculptural artwork inspired by the city, including Chester Cathedral, the Rows, the City Walls, sounds in the new market and their top tip for the best pancakes in Chester.     

Using both hand-made and digital forms of art and design, Claire and the children have created a sculptural artists’ book for display at the very apt venue of Waterstones on Eastgate Row.

The Chester Contemporary Schools Programme is delivered in partnership with Edsential and is part of the Chester High Street Heritage Action Zone Cultural Programme, funded by Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by Arts Council England.   

Chester Contemporary is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Arts Council England and Henry Moore Foundation.

Pictured - ‘Willow Horse’ by Sarah Gallagher-Hayes & pupils at Guilden Sutton C of E Primary School.