Case Study: Big Painting – A Collaborative Celebration of Music and Community at Musicport Festival

Project Overview:

Commissioned by Musicport Festival, the “Big Painting” project was a collaborative art initiative that engaged local primary school children in creating vibrant, large-scale murals to celebrate the festival and enhance the atmosphere at Whitby Pavilion. The project aimed to foster creativity, teamwork, and community spirit while providing a unique visual arts experience for festival attendees.

Client: Musicport Festival, Whitby

Objectives:

• To engage local primary school children in a collaborative art project that celebrated the Musicport Festival.
• To create large-scale, visually engaging murals that enhanced the festival atmosphere at Whitby Pavilion.
• To foster creativity, teamwork, and a sense of community among participating children.
• To provide a platform for young artists to showcase their talents.

Methodology:

In collaboration with Whitby-based fine artist Bridget Wilkinson, I led a series of visual arts workshops with children from West Cliff School and Airy Hill Primary School. Prior to the workshops, the giant boards were prepared, incorporating elements from the children’s designs. During the workshops, the children worked together to bring their ideas to life, using a variety of painting techniques. The children from West Cliff focused on creating a vibrant jellyfish mural, while those from Airy Hill collaborated on a giant octopus. My role involved guiding the children through the process, encouraging their creativity, and ensuring that their individual contributions came together to form a cohesive whole.

[Insert images here – ideally showing the children’s designs, the workshops in progress, and the finished “Big Painting” panels. Captions could include: “Children from Airy Hill Primary School work on the giant octopus mural,” “The finished ‘Big Painting’ panels on display at Whitby Pavilion.”]

Results:

The “Big Painting” project was a highlight of the Musicport Festival, adding a vibrant and engaging visual element to the event. The children demonstrated remarkable levels of concentration and collaboration throughout the workshops, and their enthusiasm was infectious. The finished panels, now on permanent display at Whitby Pavilion, serve as a lasting testament to the children’s creativity and the power of collaborative art. The project also generated positive feedback from festival attendees and the wider community.

Testimonials:

“The ‘Big Painting’ project was a fantastic addition to Musicport Festival. It was wonderful to see the children so engaged and to have their artwork displayed so prominently at the Pavilion.” – Jim Mc Goughlan, Musicport Festival Organiser

“Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed participating in the ‘Big Painting’ workshops. It was a great opportunity for them to develop their artistic skills, work as a team, and contribute to a large-scale community project.” – Sam Wainwright, Year 6 Teacher, West Cliff School.

Benefits for Clients:

“Big Painting” projects offer a unique and engaging way to enhance events, foster community spirit, and create lasting works of art. They provide opportunities for collaboration, skill-development, and creative expression, while also attracting positive attention and generating a buzz around your event or organisation. Get in touch for further information. Contact