End of Term Report - Kite Studios Winter 2021

What a lot has been going on at Kite Studios this term!

Here is a summary of all the exciting ventures which our wonderful team of teachers, students, volunteers and long term community members have been getting up to.

We can’t wait to be back for even more in the New Year.

1. Classes at Kite Studios

Adults and children, printers and potters, neurodiverse and neurotypical… Everyone at Kite has been creating relentlessly and getting stuck in to their crafts. Our children’s classes have been themed around exploring the Myth of the Condor – a fairytale from the Andes.

Adult potters on Emilia’s intensive throwing course have progressed astonishing quickly and we have a stockpile of beautifully crafted mugs, bowls and everything in between waiting to be collected in time for Christmas.

: Young artists explore creating expressive figures.

: Display of the work by Saturday’s Young Art class.

2. Work with schools

A team of Kite teachers has been heading out to local schools throughout the autumn term to give special support to vulnerable young people which the charity West London Zone has been working with. What amazing work they have produced! It has been incredibly rewarding spreading the Kite creative bug beyond the studio doors and we can’t wait to continue our partnership with local schools next term.

: Work by a student at one of our West London Zone schools.

: Year 2 creatively explore the Great Fire of London.

: Students create their own Hazard signs.

3. Community Events

We opened the studio doors to all for our annual Winter Fair. A lovely team of volunteers served up warm drinks, homemade mince pies, and we put up an art exhibition featuring the work of our students and teachers.

We also hosted the Re-Imagine 2035 evening. In a group visualisation, meditation and drawing session we came up with ideas of how we could actively create a greener, happier future for ourselves and our community.

This is how we want Kite Studios to be – a hub for community gathering and celebration of all our creativity!

4. Neurodiverse Artists

Our ‘Printmaking and the Power of Plants’ course at Chiswick House and Gardens recruited lots of participants and was a great success. It was amazing to be able to offer this fully funded workshop to a small cohort of neurodiverse adults from the local area. We hope it will turn them all into printmakers for life!