Free Time

After School Club – an exhibition of artworks by Peterborough’s teachers

Who knows what lives teachers lead once they leave the school gates. By day they teach, by night they paint canvases, play in a band, conjure up characters for their latest book. They are the everyday super-heroes with alternate lives.

Many of our brilliant teachers trained as artists, writers, performers and musicians and pass on their skills and inspiration to young people in Peterborough. The phrase ‘Those who can’t do, teach’ couldn’t be more wrong. These are the talented people whose drive is to pass on the thrill of creativity to others. However, putting time aside to maintain your own artistic skills and keep the passions alive when faced with the immediate deadlines of lesson plans, parents evenings and report writing can be a massive challenge. Before you know it, it could be five years since you’ve picked up a paintbrush or written your own poetry – and starting again can be daunting. That is perhaps unless there was a deadline and focus just for you!

These are the very thoughts and discussions that teachers shared with arts organisation Metal last year at a special dinner for music, performing arts and art teachers. As such, Metal has joined with Vivacity to create AFTER SCHOOL CLUB – an exhibition of art works by Peterborough’s extraordinary art teachers. This exhibition is an opportunity for teachers and art technicians from across the PE postcode to focus on, and show off, their own talents. The aim is to create a supportive network of art teachers with the opportunity to focus on creating new work. Over the last 3 months participating teachers have been coming together for sharing their ideas, making work and getting feedback from their peers and professionals in the arts.

At a time when the arts are rapidly getting squeezed out of the curriculum in schools ensuring we have inspired and inspiring arts teachers is critical not only for the future generation of artists and entrepreneurs but also for the health and wellbeing of the teachers themselves. So, come along and support them.

The exhibition will run from Saturday 13 April to Saturday 27 April 2019, 12 – 5pm in the Vivacity pop-up shop on Cathedral Square, coinciding with Peterborough’s 2019 Open Exhibition at City Gallery.

For more details visit: metalculture.com/projects/after-school-club

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