Involving the community

Since achieving Specialist Status, Willingdon School has committed to support and serve the local community by encouraging different community groups, businesses and organisations to benefit from the school's new resources, expertise and facilities in media and the visual arts. Community Arts Development Officer, Marina Castledine, works closely with five partner primary schools and several local community organisations and businesses in response to identified learning needs and requests for specialist input and practical support. Here is just a flavour of the community programme and the kinds of projects that have been developed in the last two years.

Our Space

Our Space is an ambitious public art project funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, to involve the whole community in and around Willingdon Community School, for the creation of a new sculpture to be situated in the school grounds.  

Everyone who has a past, present or future relationship with the school is invited to take part!

Please visit http://ourspaceproject.blogspot.com

Specialist media arts projects

In the summer of 2005 a number of partner primary schools enjoyed a Visual Arts Festival at Charleston Farmhouse led by practising artists and designers where children learned screen printing, drawing and three dimensional skills culminating in a public exhibition of their work at the end of the week long project. In 2006 An “Arts in Healthcare” project commissioned Willingdon students to produce restorative films based on local landscapes which will now be transmitted on bedside television monitors in the DGH in Eastbourne and the Conquest Hospital in Hastings. A two year relationship with St Mary's Church in Willingdon has recently resulted in the digitization of a precious but crumbling archive so that the history and heritage of the building can now be read and used by the whole community for many years to come.

For more information about the community programme, please contact Marina Castledine or Kathryn Hall in the Community Arts office at school on extension 263 or via the school e mail address.