During the last few weeks, the Art Room was unrecognisable. There were mountains of cardboard, computer parts, milk bottles, plastic toys and many found objects, littering the Art Room and giving it a lovely chaotic atmosphere. This was because Stage 3 had been busy collecting, scavenging and constructing wonderful recycled and found objects for their Robots, inspired by the idea that artists can anthropomorphise, or give human characteristics to, inanimate objects.

Stage 3 were asked to bring in their own materials, which saw many fantastic findings, such as old keyboards and bionic arms, computer chips for brains and many other creative solutions. The boys were challenged to use a variety of construction methods, depending on the materials they were dealing with. Concurrently, the boys engaged in discussions about what makes us human, rather than robots, under the umbrella topic of wellbeing.

At the culmination of the unit, all of Stage 3 assembled their completed Robot sculptures in the assembly hall, and a presentation was delivered in Assembly of Week 7, introducing their work as a Robot Invasion. From this presentation, which was entirely organised by the boys, I learnt that the boys had really engaged with the unit and had a very enjoyable experience. It was a chance for them to make big, messy and imaginative structures, which challenged their understanding of the animate and the inanimate; as we saw their creations come to life!

Mrs Phoebe Burnett

Art Teacher

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