Project Summary
This drawing and animation project involved a class of 30 children aged 10 to 11 yrs (Yrs 5 and 6) from St Michael’s Primary School Wakefield over a period of 4 half-day sessions at Public Arts’ Offices, the Orangery in Wakefield. The 18th century Orangery was used as a focus for drawing its past, present and future, with the drawings then being brought to life by the children, in the form of an animation.

Aims
The overall aim of Drawing Attractions was to demonstrate the value of drawing as a tool for public engagement with historic and natural heritage sites. This was done through the innovative use of drawing and animation.

The aim of the project was to focus on the 18th Century Orangery, which is located within the Wakefield Westgate Key Development Area, and to produce an animation using drawing, to interpret, explain and imagine the past, present and future of the Orangery site. This was done through drawing and reconstructing different periods of the Orangery’s past and its related social history, observing the present and trying to imagine what it could be like in the future.

“…the children were motivated and inspired. They were able to achieve something every session, whilst working towards a bigger end project. I found it very informative and enjoyable, so did the children.”

Teacher.

What did we do?

The inspiration for the drawing activities was based on The Orangery – Beam’s Grade II listed building focusing on:
• Unique past, its wonderful present and its inspiring future.
• The building itself and its grounds
• The people who were connected with the Orangery
• The possible new extension to the Orangery designed by Alsop Architects

The children animated their own drawings with the help of a professional animator and the outcome was a DVD, which each pupil received. The resulting animation also provides a means to inform and influence activity by developers in the regeneration of the area.

What did we achieve?
• The pupils will produce a number of drawings and from their drawings an animation will be produced on DVD.
• The DVD animation will be showcased alongside an exhibition of the children’s drawings to the public at the Orangery and potentially in the school.
• The children will learn new ways of thinking and working whilst making connections to their local environment through drawing.
• The project will feature in a good practice guide to be distributed to heritage sites across the UK.
• The children will also learn new ways of drawing and as well as the process of animation.