Alan Birch

Pupils at Outwood Primary School, were treated to a week of food, music and print with a Spanish flavour as musician Eve Harrison and artist Alan Birchworked on a Creative Partnership project. Year 4 and 5 pupils made marks in response to the flavours of a Spanish meal. They then decided they wanted to work on a theme of Spanish symbols using recycled objects to create prints. These prints formed the basis for musical scores which the pupils performed musically and dramatically.

Parents and pupils were treated to an afternoon of Spanish delights and the prints were later bound into a book.

Musical score later performed by staff

Spanish Kids perform their musical score.

Year 10 pupils from Holy Family College, Heywood explored the world of contemporary wallpaper at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester.

Pupils took inspiration from the wallpaper to produce drawings which were then turned into drypoint prints, incorporating collage of  buildings.

Alan Birch shows his work to the class.

During 2010, Alan Birch has been working alongside 3 artists in Galaxy House, Manchester Childrens Hospital. The programme, organised by the Whitworth Art Gallery has involved artists, musicians and poets working with children to enhance their learning experience. Work has been produced to enhance the hospital environment, including murals and framed artworks.
For further information contact: wendy.gallagher@manchester.ac.uk

Collograph print by pupil from Galaxy House, influenced by work of Norman Ackroyd.

Relief print completed by pupil at Galaxy House based on Eduardo Paolozzi print.

Hand coloured drypoint based on Japanese woodcut print.

Drypoint print influenced by monprint by Ken Kiff

GOYA MASTER CLASS
Teachers from Stockport and Manchester visited the Manchester Art Gallery to view and be inspired by the work of Francico de Goya. Artist Katy McCall give them an introduction to the Visual Dialogues project and printmaker Alan Birch presented his own work inspired by Goya. Teachers were then given an opportunity to get their hands dirty and produce expressive drypoint prints , illustrating a contemporary news story.

“ There was a great amount of work produced in a short time. Great!” Kelly Broughton, Southport College .
For further details visit: www.manchestergalleries.org.

Images courtesy of Jackie Fisher, Stockport College.

Print by Jackie Fisher. Stockport College.

Image derived from news story

WEA Students from Blackburn and Rochdale were given a curatorial tour of the Textile Collection on display at the Whitworth Art Gallery, The Indian embroideries and printed textiles formed part of a collection byThomas Wardle entitled The Manchester Indian . Studies of the patterns and shapes found in the collection were used to create colourful relief prints on fabric pieces. These fabric pieces will be embroidered and decorated in class sessions.
For further details: visit www. weacreative.org.uk/category/news/
www. whitworth.manchester.ac.uk.

For more information and images visit:

http://www.weacreativ.org.uk/category/news/

http://www.weacreativ.org.uk/category/contribution/a-stitch-in-time-contributions/

fabric print based on contemporary wallpaper

Fabric drypoint print based on contemporary imagery.

Pupils at Blackrow Brow Primary School in Huyton were given a unique insight into how artists transform public spaces . Jill Randall and Alan Birch worked with Year 4 pupils, constructing tree sculptures using wire and producing prints on the theme of natural form.
Over the next few weeks these works will be used to design a metal tree, which will be fabricated by a blacksmith and installed in the school grounds.

wire maquette, tree study

relief print natural forms.

Metal tree based on childrens models and prints fabricated by Luke Lister Blacksmith

A group of gifted and talented pupils ( aged 7-11 ) from across the North West of England attended ‘The Talent Factor’ at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls. The event, organised by North West Gifted and Talented, offered pupils the chance to experience a variety of creative talent workshops. A group of 15 skilled artists, produced drypoints and coloured relief prints, inspired by artists work.

Since September 2009, artist Alan Birch working on behalf of Artists in Schools. Bolton, has been working with four primary schools in the Tonge Moor district of Bolton. Over a series of 12 workshops, pupils from Bolton Parish , Tonge Moor, Moorgate and Castle Hill Primary Schools, produced a series of prints using the theme of transport, past, present and future.

above: ( pupils from Bolton Parish School, ink their plates. )

These prints were used to design a series of 24 panels, fabricated by Luke Lister Blacksmiths in Stockport. These painted plasma cut panels were then attached to lamp posts on Tonge Moor Road in Bolton.

below: ( plasma cutting taking place at Luke Lister blacksmith. Stockport .

Plasma cutting one of 24 panels.

During September and October, artist Alan Birch has been working on the  ” Who Cares ” project with the Leo Kelly Centre in Manchester. Pupils have experimented  with collographs, intaglio printing and  drypoint. The project organised through the Whitworth Art Gallery, gives pupils the opportunity to work with poets, musicians, artists and filmmakers and will result in an exhibition at the Whitworth Art Gallery in 2010.

Artists selling their work in Exchange Square.

Print by Jacqui Fortnum.

From Thursday the 19th – Sunday 21st November, artists from Printmakers Inc. will be selling their work at Exchange Square in Manchester. The 15 artists who produce their prints at Prospect Studio in the Rossendale Valley, will be showing a range of printmaking techniques and subjects.Pop along to view their work, have a chat about prints and even buy a work. They make ideal original presents. The artists are only trading for this weekend only.