Essex Primary School, Newham

Gestures 2008
Year 4: Class 4B and 4J

Essex Primary School brought Johan Zoffany's Colonel Mordaunt's Cock Match, to life by investigating sound and gestures. They then created an inventive and experimental orchestra of voices with an accompanying musical score to celebrate the variety of languages within their classroom.

Inspired by Gary Hume's The Whistler, they used photography, drawing and collage to illustrate the gestures and sounds from their performance. Gestures was performed at Essex Primary School, Tate Britain and at the launch of the Create It! Newham's Annual Schools Art Exhibition at the University of East London.

For images, visit the Essex Gallery »
and Family Day »

Teachers: Donna Blackman, Nicola James and Yasotha Nallaiah
Artist:: Isa Suarez and Daniel Wallis

"I learned that there isn't just one way of doing art because we did sound art, picture art [and] digital art." Student

"I think it's good for them to have new experiences and having their home languages brought into the classroom was really, really beneficial to celebrate that aspect of the diversity of our school." Nicola James, teacher

"[The] performance was about literacy really and about building children's confidence and it's a fun way of doing it. To see that done is marvellous, but the teachers will tell you they have taken away skills and ideas from that and will be able to use them, so there's a legacy there." Andrew Mutter, Newham LEA