Last April, Ascot Racecourse organised an art competition for local schools, something it has done on an annual basis since 2018. The winning designs were enlarged and displayed in the Ascot Heath Tunnel, creating a colourful walkway for both Royal Ascot visitors and local residents.
Three students from Charters School - Sian, Clara and Lottie - come first in their age group competition (the 11, 12 and 13/14 age categories) and won £1,000 each for the school to be used within the Art department.
The £3,000 has been spent on a variety of initiatives from which Art and Design students at the Sunningdale-based school have benefitted. Some of the money has been used for students to experience workshops from artists or have trips to develop their creative awareness.
Alistair Little, a local artist, visited the school for a whole day to lead a Portrait Workshop for Year 12 and 13 A-Level Art students. Oil paints, canvases and brushes were purchased to ensure that the students could fully embrace the day and produce some amazing artwork.
Younger students in Years 7, 8 and 9 enjoyed a workshop of their own when Artist Becks Porter came in to deliver a Ceramics Workshop across two and a half days. They had much fun using the clay and specialist glazes purchased for the event.
A trip to the Natural History Museum provided inspiration for Year 9 students who had chosen to take GCSE Art in Year 10. They enjoyed visiting the museum which gave them the chance to discover many exhibits.
Finally, the Art Department were delighted to be able to purchase a Top Loading Kiln so that students can continue to experience using clay throughout the year during their lessons.
Mrs Lee-Wragg, Head of Art and Design said, “I would like to extend my considerable thanks to Ascot Racecourse for supporting our school through their wide-reaching Corporate Social Responsibility programme, and to all the prize winners - through their achievements the Art department were able to make all these things possible”