HOME About the Project
This exhibition shows artwork that investigates and reflects on the theme of home created by young people from Oxford
schools.
The starting point for the project is a four-storey high wall painting, KIDS, by international artist Michael Craig-Martin at the
John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Led by artist Dionne Barber (www.dionnebarber.com), the students have developed their
own work in response to the wall painting through a series of artist led workshops at their schools and on site at the hospital.
The project aims to capture different young people’s responses and expressive exploration into the meaning of ‘home’. Playing
with scale, colour and application techniques, the artwork will take the form of drawings, paintings, photographs and sculpture.
Home is led and managed by artist Dionne Barber, and has been developed by Oxfordshire Hospital School in association with
Modern Art Oxford and Artlink, the arts programme for Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust. Schools participating in the project include
St Andrews Primary School, Oxford Spires Academy, Cheney School and Meadowbrook College. The exhibition is sponsored
by the charity Bear Givers. Artwork will be for sale to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital.
HOME exhibition at Modern Art Oxford
A selection of artwork produced as part of the HOME project will be exhibited at Modern Art Oxford
(www.modernartoxford.org.uk) from until 30th June- 10th July and all participants will be invited to a special preview on the
evening of 1st July (7-9pm).
All costs relating to the exhibition (including framing of artwork and the preview) have been kindly sponsored by the charily
Bear Givers.
Artwork from the exhibition will be for sale to raise funds for the Children’s Hopsital at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
Bear Givers
Bear Givers (www.beargivers.org) developed from the charity Bears 4 Kids which was founded in 2002 by Joseph B. Sprung,
as the realization of his philanthropic vision. When visiting ill children, “Joe” would cheer them up with the gift of a Teddy Bear
to keep them company.
In 2002 he founded Bears 4 Kids which evolved into an organization that has continued to distribute teddy bears to the sick
and elderly but has also supported a wide range of other programmes, including educational projects using bears as a
teaching tool, and the sponsorship of various charities worldwide.
As the organization grew, Bears 4 Kids saw the need to respond to a wider population and therefore in 2009, Joseph Sprung
formed the umbrella organization, Bear Givers, which includes Bears 4 Kids, the Empowerment Program, and other
programmes relating to adults.
INTRODUCTION
WORKSHOPS
School visits
To start the project Dionne
Barber visited Schools, meeting
staff and students involved.
Dionne gave all the schools a
presentation on her own
practice, and its relevance to
Michael Craig Martins work.
Dionne outlined the many
strands to the project; the
workshops at the hospital
“studio” space, The Oxford
Artweeks exhibition, the
exhibition at Modern Art Oxford,
the role of the hospital and the
impact of the project.
Home project logo
The first workshop
also involved an
introduction to the
new approaches
and techniques,
brainstorming the
theme of home, and
the possibilities of
the project .
Hospital Workshops
St Andrews
Primary School
Students
experimented
with different
paint
applications and
drawing
techniques,
exploring the
meaning of
“home” to themthe people,
buildings and
objects in their
lives at home.
“This project has not only celebrated the creative talents of children in Oxford’s schools but, by bringing the young
people into the hospital to view Michael Craig- Martin’s artwork and have fun, we hope it has done something to
demystify the hospital environment and make it feel less intimidating.
The project was not only enjoyed by those participating but by patients, visitors and staff who enjoyed the watching
new artwork being created in the workshops in the midst of the bustle of a working hospital – a welcome distraction
from some of the stresses of being in hospital. We hope that the exhibition at MAO engaged a wider public, and helped
to alter their views of their local hospital – a place where creativity and artwork can help to improve wellbeing.’
Ruth Charity
Arts Coordinator
John Radcliffe Hospital
Oxford Spires Academy
Workshops
Students decided on investigating
childhood memories at home and
representing them in objects.
Cheney School
Workshops
Students from
Cheney school
focused on objects
that truly represent
“home” to them
Hospital School Workshops
Students at the hospital School worked
individually and in groups to make their
own personal responses to the theme
“I really enjoyed today because we got to input our own ideas and got to work in a
team we were comfortable with. I learnt to think outside of the box, not just
the obvious, and was able to interpret my personal experiences into the
artwork.”
“Today I have really enjoyed coming up with all the ideas and start to making
them in real life”
“I thought it would be a bit boring, just someone telling us what to do, but it’s
actually really fun and I feel I am being allowed to work to my full potential. I
would love all art lessons to be like this.”
“I enjoyed the experience because it was a good opportunity with the school to be
creative.”
“I think deciding on making a sculpture of a hug was one of my best decisions
ever. I never really noticed how powerful one image can be, but looking at our
art I feel a strong sense of achievement. It was one of the best experiences of
my life.”
“Once I listened to Dionne and took her advice, I became more confident in my
work ending up with two fabulous pieces I’m chuffed to bits over.”
“Doing this project has made friendship groups stronger and made us more
determined to achieve our goals.”
“It was brilliant and exciting . Yeah !”
Artweeks Open Project Studio
Family Day Workshop at The
John Radcliffe Hospital
The families of the participating
Schools with patients and
families of the Children's
Hospital, were invited to the
10am-4pm Saturday drop in
workshop at the hospital. A large
2 metre collage was created to
display in the hospital on the
theme of Home.
Modern Art Oxford Home
exhibition Private View
Home Exhibition
HOME
The artwork in this exhibition has been created by young people from Oxford schools in
response to KIDS, a 4-storey wall painting by artist Michael Craig-Martin at the John
Radcliffe Hospital. All the work investigates and reflects on the theme of home.
This is just a small selection of the artwork created through a programme of workshops
led by artist Dionne Barber both at the hospital and in schools. Young people from schools
across Oxford – including the Hospital School – visited the wall painting and developed
their own work in response, playing with scale, colour and application techniques, to
create drawings, paintings, photographs and sculpture.
The aim of the project has not only been to develop the students’ individual creativity and
encourage them to learn about the working methods of one of Britain’s foremost artists,
but also to demystify the hospital environment and make it a less intimating place to visit.
A film by John Rolfe following the development and installation of the wall painting KIDS,
with an interview with Michael Craig-Martin, is showing in the exhibition. This was
produced as part of an education pack for schools and used as a learning tool for the
project.
HOME has been developed by Oxfordshire Hospital School in association with Modern Art
Oxford and Artlink, the arts programme for Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust. It has been led
and managed by Dionne Barber. Schools participating in the project include St Andrews
Primary School, Oxford Spires Academy, Cheney School and Meadowbrook College. The
exhibition is sponsored by the charity Bear Givers.
Selected works
Home Exhibition Family Day
A Saturday Family
Day workshop was
run and held at
Modern Art Oxford,
families were invited
to view the exhibition
and make their own
responses to the
theme
“I have been constantly
inspired and enthused by
the work produced during
this project, the variety of
ideas and responses to
the same theme has been
fascinating”
Dionne Barber
Artist
“ It was a wonderful opportunity for students
in the Hospital School to work on a project
with Dionne together with other schools. It
was a real achievement for some of them
to see their work in Modern Art Oxford
and was a huge boost to self-esteem.”
Anne Stevenson
Arts Coordinator
Oxfordshire Hospital School
Alex Davis
Ashley Herrera
Azlan Sharif
Bethany Johnson
Dhruti Mysore
Eleanor Davies
Elise Hill
Enoch Zhao
Finlay Brown
Freddie Trott
Henry Cowls
Isaac Sinclair
Jacob Stewart
James Kay
Jehiel Johnson
Joe B Baker
Joe K Kumar
Justin Adcock
Libby Jervis
Louis Wishlade
Mak Macapagal
Milton Nkomo
Moiz Hasan
Natasha Fenton
Oliver Davenport
Rosie O'reilly
Sophia Lomulo
Stanley Ward
Tobi Fadero
Yasmeen Khan
Kitty Walsh
Isobelle Pearce
Phoebe Day
Roisin Anderson
Lola Grimby
Izzy Barraclough
Coco Dean
Lara Stead
Annie Rose
Imad Salih
Coral Dalitz
Eleanor Krige
Anne Baby
Ella Allison Drake
Charlotte Kemp,
Emily Meeson
Jordan Stansfield
Benedict Goodall
Emily Freeman
David Vickers
Sophie Hodgson
Magnus Laerke
Hyeonsik Bang
Harris Forster-Grant
Kai Sawyer
Theo Blackwell
Amie Ing
Harry Langsbury
Chloe Rodger
Amy Hook
Maisie Norton
Oliver Hooton
Thomas Redmond
Amana Beale
Umah Arshad
Georgia Head
Luca Stewart
Zahara Naqui
Bec’s Tremlett
Danny Allen
Conor Winslow
Aaron Cole
Jessica Hughes
Paige Bridges
Farakh Mohammed
Jaminl Ahmed
Charlie Aries
Beth Beckett
Michael Egbe
Tiffany Hicks
Erum Khan
Jb Lagadi
Amal Makki
Anna Materna
Chelsea Ochiela- Bourton
Rabia Rehman
Aman Singh
Shanice Yearwood