Last year I was invited to Grange
Academy in East Ayrshire to spend two days sharing my knowledge and skills with
pupils.
The visits were arranged within East Ayrshire
schools to form the “Clarice Shaw Art Competition”, created and supported by local
Labour Councillor Cathy Jamieson MP. Clarice Shaw was the first female Labour
member of a town council and the first female Labour MP for Ayrshire, having
won her seat in Kilmarnock in 1945. Throughout her life, Clarice had a personal
interest in women’s rights and medical and child welfare issues until she died
at the age of 63 in 1946.
To help pupils with the ‘book’ theme of the
competition, I shared my experiences and assisted pupils and teachers from all
nine East Ayrshire secondary schools.
Cathy Jamieson said: “I am pleased to have created
and supported this project. I was keen to give pupils the opportunity of
working with an artist, as well as marking the incredible contribution that
Clarice Shaw made to education, women’s rights and local politics. Seeing the
workshops first-hand showed just how much the pupils were inspired by Su
Blackwell and I am looking forward to seeing the artworks they create.”
I was invited, along with Cathy,
to be one of the judges in the competition.
And the Winner is
'Then and Now' by Charley Skilling from Grange Academy
The winning artwork will be on permanent display at The Dick Institute in Kilmarnock.
The Runner-Up
'Shaw over Parliament' by Alison Farrell & Basilia Weir from Cumnock Academy.
Here are some of the other entries in the competition.
Artwork by Ellis Inglis from Grange Academy
Artwork by Rachel Woodburn from Grange Academy
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