great arts & cultural stuff to do at home
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SPECIALLY SELECTED & COMMISSIONED FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE IN CARE
tabletop challenges
Things you can do from a desk, table, sofa, etc. Includes making, crafting, research, small movement, writing and composing. Click on a heading below to zoom down to the films.
GIVE IT A GO - Graffiti Art 1 - tags
by David Brown - graffitiartist.com
David shows you how to create your own tag using pens and paper.
Commissioned from David Brown for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
GIVE IT A GO 2 - Graffiti Art 2: sketching
by David Brown - graffitiartist.com
Learn how to sketch a spray-can and a side profile face.
Commissioned from David Brown for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
!! DAVID'S CHALLENGE !!
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Open to all young people: send us your graffiti designs (email artslinkwm@gmail.com). We'll feature them in our gallery and the first 10 to arrive will be sent a free Tag Bag Graffiti Starter Pack - all you need to get started as a graffiti artist!
On our Career Pathways page David talks about being first inspired by hip-hop and before building a successful business as a busy graffiti artist.
GIVE IT A GO 1 - Journalism
by Vimal Korpal
Vimal introduces the 5 Ws of asking great questions
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Commissioned from Vimal Korpal for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
GIVE IT A GO 2 - Getting Creative with Characters
by Vimal Korpal
In this brilliant film Korpal shows how to create and enact your own characters, and use them to support the journalistic activities in part 1.
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Commissioned from Vimal Korpal for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
On our Career Pathways page Vimal talks about getting into the industry through creating a stand-up character and having lots of patience.
GIVE IT A GO - Making a Mouth Puppet
by Tess Hills
Make fantastic puppets from envelopes!
Commissioned from Tess Hills for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
GIVE IT A GO - Making a Rod Puppet
by Tess Hills
You can make these amazing puppets from recycled materials from around the home. Check out the accompanying notes to help you with your task:
Commissioned from Tess Hills for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
On our career pathways page Tess talks about her work as a street theatre artist, community artist and maker with her company Curious Cargo, and about her background in theatre, television and puppeteering.
GIVE IT A GO - Making from Recycling 1
by Claire Witcomb
Learn how to make a feather from rolled up paper.
Commissioned from Claire Witcomb for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
GIVE IT A GO - Making from Recycling 2
by Claire Witcomb
Claire shows you how to make flowers from plastic milk bottles.
On our career pathways page Claire shows some of her work and talks about her insatiable desire to make stuff, which she's had since she was young.
GIVE IT A GO - drawing basics
by Jamie Neville
Jamie shows you how to draw expressive faces.
Commissioned from Jamie Neville for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
GIVE IT A GO - more advanced drawing
by Jamie Neville
Jamie gets you drawing superheroes.
Commissioned from Jamie Neville for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
How do you make a living as an illustrator? Find out from Jamie on our career pathways page
GIVE IT A GO - drumming for primary ages
by Sarah Westwood
Sarah introduces some basic West African drumming rhythms based on the 'heartbeat' pulse.
Commissioned from Sarah Westwood for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
GIVE IT A GO - drumming for secondary ages
by Sarah Westwood
Sarah introduces some basic West African drumming rhythms based on the 'heartbeat' and the Macru rhythm
Commissioned from Sarah Westwood for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
Find out more about Sarah's career as a drummer and drum teacher on our career pathways page
GIVE IT A GO - pottery for secondary ages
by Jon the Potter
Jon shows you how to make a coil owl from clay*, using only a plant pot, a bag and some makeshift tools.
Commissioned from Jon Williams for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
GIVE IT A GO - pottery for primary ages
by Jon the Potter
Jon shows you how to make a pear from clay* using just a pencil!
Commissioned from Jon Williams for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
* If you don't have clay, you can try it with Play-Doh or make your own. Either of the recipes below should work, depending on what you have in your cupboard, but please check with an adult before you go making a mess with their stocks!
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Check out some of Jon's own ceramic work in our Gallery
GIVE IT A GO - Matt's Big Shout Out
by Matt Windle - boxing poet laureate
Matt shows you how to create rhyming couplets. Send us your rhyming couplet via our Contact page and Matt will combine everyone's into one Big Shout Out poem!
GIVE IT A GO - Acrostic poems
by Matt Windle - boxing poet laureate
Aimed at primary ages. Write your own acrostic poem using the theme and example set by Matt.
Commissioned from Matt Windle for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
GIVE IT A GO - Acrostic poems
by Matt Windle - boxing poet laureate
Aimed at secondary ages. Write your own acrostic poem using the theme and example set by Matt.
Commissioned from Matt Windle for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
Want to find out about Matt's unconventional career pathway to becoming both Birmingham Poet Laureate and ranked 6th super flyweight boxer in Britain?
Watch his career pathways film.
Check out some of Matt's own poems in our Gallery
GIVE IT A GO - Photography Challenge 1
by Mark Anderson - Infuse
Create 4 photo images of hands making a pattern. Each photo needs to have a different hand pattern and a different background.
Commissioned from Infuse for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
GIVE IT A GO - Photography Challenge 2
by Mark Anderson - Infuse
Create 4 photographs, each photograph based on a different word. No faces to be in the image, but you can use feet, hands, arms, back views, objects, shadows etc. Choose 4 words, make your own up or choose a word like support, connections, flight, rest, community, strength, etc. Each photo needs a different background.
Commissioned from Infuse for streaming by Artslink Connect & Create participants only. Please do not use for any other purpose.
Want to find out how Mark built a successful career as a dancer, dance leader, photographer and film-maker? Watch his short career pathways film.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL!
Children & Young People: please make sure you stay physically safe when doing any of the activities, and check with an adult before starting, as Artslink can't accept liability for any damage to yourself or property!
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Children & Young People and key adults: please be aware of the importance of e-safety.
We strongly recommend the Thinkuknow e-safety website.