Pupils who are underrepresented in art, design and architecture have been given the opportunity to participate in the 5th year of the Access to Creative Education in Scotland (ACES) programme.
The course is delivered locally by Robert Gordon University.
Funded by the Scottish Funding Council, ACES provides the opportunity for pupils in the city and shire to participate in a range of activities and workshops on campus over the 16 week programme, giving them a feel for what it is like to be a student at RGU.
There were 21 pupils enrolled in the latest programme from schools across Aberdeen City and Shire, including Kincorth, Hazelhead, St Machar, Mintlaw, Peterhead and Fraserburgh Academies, and their work went on display at a final showcase event in the Sir Ian Wood Building at the Garthdee campus.
To help encourage pupils to continue their studies in these creative fields, they also received information about the university application process by staff at Gray’s School of Art and the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and the Built Environment, alongside their practical sessions. In the past, this has led to several successful applications from former ACES pupils to the university.
Mandy Clarke, creative project coordinator, Creative Learning, Aberdeen City Council, added: “Through meeting artists and designers at different stages of career, the pupils have found inspiration whilst gaining first-hand knowledge of how different people’s journeys into the arts can be.
“Hearing more about individual creative practices and how artists pursue and sustain their creative careers throughout their life, has endorsed for some of the young people that they too would like to go to art school and are considering the most relevant pathways.”
The art pupils have been led by Craig Ellis from Gray’s School of Art while Jonathon Scott has been teaching the architecture group.
The pupils took trips to both the Maritime Museum and Drum Castle to work on creative development projects as a large group before splitting into two smaller groups allowing a focus on their preferred area – architecture or art.
There has also been input by the Aberdeen City Council’s Creative Learning Team, whereby emerging and practising artists delivered sessions to the art pupils which provided practical workshops as well as information about their inspirations, developing their own art practice and career development
Inspiration Point - an interactive arts project inspiring the people of the North-east - took place on the February 17 and 18 at the Lemon Tree and presented some of the work created by the ACES pupils as part of an Inspiring Creative Careers day for secondary schools and NESCOL students.
In addition, one of the ACES pupils has progressed to participating in Cultivate an accredited volunteer training programme, with support from Creative Learning the volunteers organised a family creative workshop for the public during the recent Inspiration Point event.