Lock In: Our SALA Exhibition Opening Night

Last week we opened the doors on Lock In, our SALA Festival exhibition, held as part of the ‘My Voice’ component of our Year 6 DARE Graduate Diploma. The exhibition featured work from our Year 6 students alongside pieces from our wider school community, including staff, Art Club, and ELC all exhibited side by side. The title, Lock In, was suggested by the students – though unsure at first, once the students explained it to Art Teacher, Jess Vann she realised it perfectly captured the spirit of the exhibition. Every piece represented a moment where an artist had ‘locked in’: sat with an idea, worked through a challenge, and persevered.

Intergenerational Collaboration and Connection
This year, for the first time, the exhibition featured artworks created through a special collaboration with Kapara Residential Care Home. Over the course of two months, Year 6 students visited Kapara residents to work on collaborative art pieces.

One of the residents, Brian, is a former art teacher and relished the opportunity to work alongside students Flynn and Elijah.

“I played a lot of tennis when I was younger, so Flynn and Elijah have been working with me on a drawing of a tennis court, and I’ve been working with them on how to use parallel lines to show perspective.

“It’s been an enjoyable experience working with the young students and seeing how our ideas came together. I’m proud of what we’ve created.” – Brian, Kapara Resident

“It’s really nice to hear Brian’s story,”

“It’s always a nice opportunity to learn from someone who has lived through different times and has so much knowledge to share.” – Elijah, Year 6 student.

Exhibition Opening
The exhibition was open to the school community, including a special visit from the Kapara residents. This was followed by an evening celebration for Year 6 families, who were invited to view and celebrate the students’ work. Over the weekend the exhibition was also open to the public. This was the first year the exhibition was hosted in the Dr Pamela Wall Centre, with the dedicated Baddams Gallery providing a space to showcase the talent of our students. Every piece reflected St Peter’s Woodlands’ open-ended, hands-on approach to art and strengthened our commitment to nurturing creativity, self-expression and artistic exploration in our students.

Article by Jess Vann, Art Teacher.