Local school St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School has been holding an art week to celebrate African culture and raise awareness about the developing world.
Dympna Mooney, head of creative arts said: “we wanted to bring the fun back a bit and bring a depth of different experiences to the children”
Dympna also said choosing Africa was an important part of the Art week because it has a lot of different creative opportunities, it was also done to show the difference between African culture and English culture to teach children more about the world.
Dympna said she hopes the art week gives the children “a better global understanding” Children have taken part in a variety of different activities during the week including tribal mask making and African drumming.
St Bernard’s as had a close relationship with Africa as well since 2009 they have been sponsoring Sirra Jallow a six year old child from Gambia in West Africa.
Money the children have raised during the art week by making donations and buying fair-trade products is going towards charities like action aid in Africa.
Dympna said that she believes that art week had been a success and that the children have learnt a lot about African culture as well as art in general saying: “I think the children have learnt you don’t have to be good at art to enjoy it and there’s more to art than just painting pictures”