ROCK PAPER SCISSORS

Halima Akhtar

Halima Akhtar worked on an extended ROCK PAPER SCISSORS in-school project which involved Year 4 and 6 children and teachers from Charlotte Sharman Primary and St. Johns C of E Primary schools. Together they drew from their everyday environments, to create abstract patterns and designs. Halima’s approach was process driven, with many steps, showing the children how they can develop their work over time.

The sessions initially took place online over lockdown, enabling the children to creatively respond to their surroundings in new ways, using drawing to imagine and transform. Back at school, they explored shape, texture, colour, light and shadow around the school site. The children built up a body of individual and collaborative work, which developed into flip books and t-shirt designs. The flip books also became a series of animations which were shared at the end of the project, as a celebration of everyone’s collective work.

Halima unpacked some of the themes and processes in a Teachers’ Assembly, Drawing the Abstract, which was co-delivered with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS artist Rita Evans. A printed resource was produced offering teachers activity ideas to incorporate drawing, abstraction and language.

Halima Akhtar is a multidisciplinary artist based in South East London working between drawing, print and kinetic experimentation. She is interested in drawing as a form of construction and spontaneity. In parallel with her studio practice, Halima has worked closely with South London communities through Stitch School, as well as on creative interventions for Brixton Design Trail, Brixton Library and a residency with Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Thanks to all involved:

Year 4, Charlotte Sharman Primary School

Year 6, St. Johns C of E Primary School

Cybell Jatoe, Teacher, Charlotte Sharman Primary School

Daphne Ward-Anderson, Teacher, St. Johns C of E Primary School

Halima Akhtar, Artist

Laura Nichols, Teacher, Charlotte Sharman Primary School

Matthew Velada-Billson, Headteacher, St John’s C of E Primary School

Misty Ingham, Learning Curator Maternity Cover, Drawing Room

Sheyamali Sudesh, Learning Coordinator, Drawing Room

Solomon Williams, Workshop Assistant, Drawing Room

Sophie Morris, Teacher, Charlotte Sharman Primary School

 

Scrapbook

Drawing has always been a core part of my practice. It acts as the anchor - the trigger impulse to capturing a place, feeling or idea. Drawings do not have to be static, they can change, be altered, formed and deconstructed.
Halima Akhtar
The ROCK PAPER SCISSORS project ethos enables all children, including those with limited verbal and cognitive communication skills to take part. We received a great deal of positive feedback from parents who were so grateful to receive the packages of resources and art materials each week, particularly in households where such items were unaffordable.
Vanessa Mincher, Pastoral Manager, St Johns C of E Primary School
Art can make you feel anything. If it scares you that’s art. If it makes you happy that’s art. If it creates disgust, you know that's art.
Alex, child
‘Conversations with Sophie Morris and Laura Nichols brought about ideas for different creative ways of working can be bought into teaching.’
Halima Akhtar, Artist