Creative Education
Working with your school
Eccleston George have worked on a number of schools projects now, both working in school grounds to create exciting play and learning features and running workshops and events. Their working methods and materials have huge potential for practical and innovative features for your school grounds and to help you deliver the curriculum in creative ways. They don't just come to your school and make things for you, they work with your students to first design things and then work with them again to actually make them.
In 2008 Nigel George was asked to speak at the National Creative Curriculum Conference in London about the teams experiences working on and leading creative learning programmes. In 2009 he will speak at the Time Educational Suppliment Special Needs conference in London.
Parents, pupils and teachers can work hands on with the sculpting so they can feel real ownership of the work and and see their own designs made 'flesh'.
Environmental issues are discussed and recycling,reclaiming and upcyling are explored as part of the design and make process.
Murals
Low relief wall murals have proved very popular in school settings. They can illustrate themes and ideas from the curriculum and we can faithfully replicate pupils drawings.
Domes
We have teamed up with willow artist Tim Johnson to create fantastic sculpted domes which can be used as outdoor classrooms.
Sculpture
With our medium we can sculpt anything from huge lifelike dinosaurs to more abstract sculptural works. Pupils can work with the team through all concept, design, planning and construction processes.
Sandpits and Digs 
Students can work with us on every aspect of the project from concept, research & design through to construction and use after completion, like this Dinosaur dig in a school on the Isle of Wight.
Outdoor Furniture
Pupils have an opportunity to work with us to design and make outdoor funiture for their own school grounds.
Wildlife Areas
We have sucessfully helped schools to develop their own wildlife gardens etc. Using Earth casting techniques to make 'Bug Hotels', bird baths, pools and ponds.
Music projects
Here's what schools say about us....
"We think it's superb...........hope you'll be back!" Linda Cahill Head of Brighstone Primary School.
"The students and staff have particularly enjoyed working with Eccleston George who really have become part of the school family. They have contributed on so many levels to the pupils, supporting and guiding them to make art, and encouraging them to believe that anything is possible if they problem solve and work hard. They also worked with students to record and release the Making Sense Song, to raise money for materials to continue the projects. Their respect and support has provided fantastic role models for the students which we now see emulated in the daily behaviour of the school." Sue Holman Head Teacher St George's Special Needs School.
In 2008 Nigel George was asked to speak at the National Creative Curriculum Conference in London about the teams experiences working on and leading creative learning programmes. In 2009 he will speak at the Time Educational Suppliment Special Needs conference in London.
ECCLESTON GEORGE & THE DRAGON
Working in collaboration with school staff, Eccleston George have initiated a totally new kind of creative learning project at a special needs school on the Isle of Wight. This very exciting project is called Dragon and it is based at St George's School.
DRAGON
Imagine a school for children and young adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities setting up their own business in their own school grounds.
What would happen if this business enterprise, based around creative learning, invited other schools to use a facility that the students at that PMLD school had not only designed and built themselves but actually ran themselves .
Well we're about to find out!.........As far as we know St George's School in Newport is the first school in the UK to offer a pay to use service to other schools. Students at St George's will have an opportunity to work at every level of the business, from management to maintenance from IT to PR and development, they will be able to gain real experience of real business and of life in the work place at every level. The far reaching effects of this project will be fantastic for all involved, for St George's, Island schools, benefactors, investors, funders, partners and sponsors alike.
DOWNLOAD THE MAKING SENSE pdf BOOKLET HERE.
Teaming up with Tim Johnson
Tim Johnson weaving willow.
The Eccleston George boys have at longlast colloborated with environmentl artist, Tim Johnson, on a art project. St Mary's Primary School in Ryde on the Isle of Wight is the first place to benifit from such a joint project . Tim said "We've been talking about teaming up to do something for a long long time, it's great to have finally managed to make it happen".
Children of St Mary's investigate the dome.
The project has seen the artists build a full size native dwelling using Tims hazel and willow weaving techniques and Eccleston George's cement mache to cover it with a permenant skin. The dwelling will also function as a camera obscurer that the pupils at the school will be able to use in lessons.
Nigel George said " We love it and we're planning the next joint project right now, there is so much that us lot and Tim can do together that we can't achieve on our own. This project has opened up so many possibilities"
To find out more aboutTim Johnson click the link.
