I was delighted to have the opportunity to invite our past pupil Rachel Mc Quade into St Paul’s to work with our Year 11 pupils of Art and Design.

Rachel conducted and presented a seven-week work shop over seven Fridays teaching and working with our pupils. They learned about recycling and up cycling in the fashion world.

Each pupil developed an idea from their existing GCSE art work to use as the theme for their project.

The collaboration was a huge success and the evidence is below.

Zoe McShane- image on theme

Image of final theme

Project review

I really liked this project on making things out of old materials and fabrics. I loved every minute of it and it was something I really enjoyed would love to do it again.

Cliodhna Conlon – images on theme

Project Review

I have liked this project as it has allowed me to be creative and helps towards my current project. It has made me think more creatively and put new ideas to a test and to experiment new ideas. I enjoyed using old recycled fabrics, material and objects to create something new.

Image of final piece

Project review

We did the task of completing our own fashion piece from recycled pieces. I enjoyed using various materials and liked working with them. I found the task interesting because I never did anything like this before. I would like to do this again.

Valerija Staselovica

She had no work displayed on the walls as there is limited space.

Project Review

In this project I made a hat decorated with roses. This project was helpful as I tried myself with something new. It was fun to create fashion from recycled materials, so I enjoyed it a lot. We had a range of things we could have used so we all created unique fashion which I think is very interesting.

Nicki Fegan – images on theme

Images of final

Project review

I enjoyed this project, I would love to do it again, I enjoyed sewing and working with different fabrics.

I tried to make the dress as creepy as possible by adding wire to the neckline, and wings to the arms of the dress. I have never done anything like this before. I enjoyed it very much and would do it again.

Paul McKernan – images on theme

Paul McKernan- images on theme

 

Project review

I enjoyed working on this project because I got to make a hat out of recycled materials.

Shannon Byrne – images on theme

Images on final design

(unfinished)

Project review

I enjoyed this project as it was a new task to complete for me as I have never made anything with fabric in art.

I would be happy to do this again only I would like to have more time to complete a bigger task like a full detailed dress for a human.

Cathy Hillen – images on theme

Project review

I really enjoyed doing this project over the past few weeks; it was very interesting and different to do, rather than drawing and painting every week. I would like to do this project again as I think it has been very beneficial in my work and has helped me improve my artwork for the future.

Orlaith Mac Eoin Manus- images on theme

Project review

This project helped me to work with different materials than I’m use too. It showed me there is more to art than just painting. I would be happy to do this project again.

Liam Mc Ardle – images on theme

Initially Liam wanted to take part in the project and he had made attempts however he began to struggle and decided to opt out and on continue on with his own project.

His initial attempt

Continuing on with his own project

Paul Cunningham – images on project theme:

Paul started out making a bag using a variety of materials however a few weeks in some of the materials he was using was taken from the room and he was not able to source them again or find a replacement.

He felt it was to late to start again from scratch so just went back to working on his theme action shots (football).

Laura Reavey- images on theme

 

Laura had a huge difficulty with grasping the concept of the project by week three she was still unsure of what she wanted to create .

she was frustrated as she wanted to take part but she couldn’t find an idea which fuelled her creativity.

Therefore we agreed it would be best for her to continue with her project identity, and if she though of an idea later in the year Mrs O’Hare said she was assist her.

Continuing with her project

 

 

Rachel Mc Quade

Testimonial

I am currently studying Fashion and Textiles at University of Ulster and as a past pupil of St Paul’s.

I was privileged to be accepted back to partake in this unique project with a group of year 11 students. Myself and Mrs. O’Hare collaborated to ensure that the project wound intertwine with the pupil’s existing specifications.

Therefore settling on a theme of “Re-cycle and Up-cycle”, the project helped offer the students different possibilities and the chance to use materials that they once may have discarded as junk.

I feel the experience was beneficial to both myself and the students as I got to understand the way in which a classroom is managed and the students got to experience an insight into the fashion and textile world.

It helped to open their mind as to what route they might want to follow in their future career path.

Speaking from experience I understand how difficult it can be to decide on a specific area within the area of Art and Design that you want to work in, by providing the students with a sample of the way they would be expected to work.

I know this experience has really helped them to understand how each area might differ and therefore better inform their decision making.

The students have embraced the project assigned to them and attempted everything asked. They were a pleasure to work with and they have produced some amazing outcomes.

Mrs Siobhán O’Hare, Head of Art & Design