Katherine Lynn, Personalise Learning Teacher and Arts Award adviser at Voyage Learning Campus (VLC) in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset tells us about a unique family-based Bronze Arts Award project where the young person’s dad taught him how to carve a sculpture out of a breeze block; demonstrating how art can inspire, challenge and bring people together.
The Voyage Learning Campus opened in April 2013 and is for students from Year 1 through to Year 11. As a Pupil Referral Unit, we provide alternative provision for young people who are unable to attend mainstream school due to medical or health reasons, or due to permanent exclusion from a mainstream school.
As a school, we are highly committed to helping our young people, many of whom have faced significant challenges, to achieve more than they might believe is possible. We help children develop their resilience, confidence and academic potential, and support them to develop positive relationships with adults and each other. As an alternative provision setting, we are able to offer a curriculum to our students that can be more flexible or personalised to individual needs. This helps students gain confidence and skills to enable a move back into mainstream, or at times, specialist provision.
I have been delivering Arts Award for about four years and joined VLC in 2025. I decided to deliver Arts Award at VLC because I felt the arts would engage the children in their learning more, especially as the arts covers such a vast range of skills. This is our first year delivering Arts Award at VLC and I’ve supported six students so far. Due to its success, and others asking to take part, I will be delivering creative arts lessons four times a week for our Key Stage 3 and 4 students.
One of our Bronze Arts Award students took on an exciting and unique sculpture project that was a first for the school. What made this project particularly special was the story behind it. Years ago, the student’s dad had been given the very same sculpture project when he was at school. Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to complete it as the DT (Design Technology) teacher found it too messy and chaotic for a whole class! So when his son started doing Bronze Arts Award, he was eager to share the idea with his son.
For Part A (Explore the arts as a participant), the student chose to create an Easter Island-inspired statue from a breeze block using a multi-tool. His dad taught him how to use the multi-tool to carve the breeze block. The student embraced the opportunity to develop new practical skills while exploring the creative process from start to finish.
Beginning with a solid breeze block, the project involved carefully planning the design using a free online platform called Sketch Up before using a multi-tool to carve and shape the sculpture. Over several sessions, the statue gradually emerged!
Working alongside his dad, the project became more than just creating a sculpture. It provided an opportunity to share skills, learn together and complete a project that had remained unfinished for a generation. The finished Easter Island statue represents not only the creative journey young people experience through doing an Arts Award, but also the value of sharing experiences and creating lasting memories through art.
Our student reviewed the film Gladiator for Part B (Explore the arts as an audience member). He included some detailed explanations about the use of music and lighting in the film to create suspense and mystery and how both combined can influence mood and emotions. In addition, he researched the costume design and cinematography used in the film.
For Part C (Arts inspiration), the student studied the work of Drake, a rapper and singer, and was interested to find out about not only his music career, but also the significant amount of charitable work he has taken part in for the local community. In addition, he was inspired by some of Drake’s famous quotes, with his favourite being, 'Never let success get to your head and never let failure get to your heart'.
For Part D (Arts skills share), the student shared the skill of using a multi-tool to carve a breeze block with his mum, who also had a go. His mum had never used a multi-tool and at first, cut too deep into the block. Once she refined her technique with the help of her son, she enjoyed seeing the shape emerge, even more so once the statue had been completed.
As the first student at our school to undertake this type of large-scale carving project, the sculpture demonstrates the wide range of creative opportunities possible within the Arts Award framework, and has showcased how art can inspire, challenge and bring people together.
Photos by Voyage Learning Campus