Horizon Partnership
The Geffrye Museum has a long-term partnership with Horizon; a school in Hackney for pupils with special educational needs. The Geffrye offers a number of teaching sessions and special projects across all year groups which ensure that Horizon pupils maintain an ongoing relationship with the museum throughout their formal education and beyond:
Inside Out 2011
Using the Geffrye Museum’s At Home in Japan Exhibition as inspiration, classes Green 3 and 4 from Horizon School worked with Artist Matthew Larkinson and Geffrye staff to design and paint their own Japanese signs. Children personalised each sign by writing their own name in Japanese.
During a week of creative activities, children became ‘artists in residents’ and made lucky ‘owl’ charms from clay, designed and made their own ‘card’ slippers and created traditional Japanese ‘graphic style’ masks. To celebrate the end of the project, children made green tea cookies and a simple origami box with cardboard sushi!
Inside / Out 2010
Classes Green 2 and 3 from Horizon School worked with Artist Matthew Larkinson and Geffrye staff to create a decoupage bench for the Geffrye Garden.
This followed a week of creative activities where students became 'artists in residence' and made a variety of artefacts from recycled and up-cycled materials. They designed cups and saucers, clocks, paper weights, plant pots and lamps, all inspired by the collections at the Geffrye.
Students documented their work with digital cameras and combined these photographs with their own drawings to create the decoupage for the bench, which is situated next to the walled herb garden for all to enjoy.
The My Home, My Self project
Lower Concourse Cases 22 September - 12 October
Detail of one of the images from My Home, My Self
A display of students' thoughts and photographs from a recent education project at the Geffrye.
During the project students learned about image making and taking photographs while exploring the idea of 'What makes a Home?' They became familiar with the Geffrye and its collections, and observed and recorded how people have presented their homes at different times in history.
The students used digital cameras to take photos of their own home, including objects and spaces with special meaning or significance to them.
The Inside / Out project
June 2009
Pupils from the Autistic Base and those with a Severe Learning Disability at Horizon School have recently completed our annual site-specific art project.
Students spent a week at the museum as Artists in Residence. They learned about the museum collection and making art out of doors with artist Matthew Larkinson and museum staff.
The pupils learned about printmaking and made mono-prints, mono-portraits, foam-board relief and lino-cuts before turning their hand to wood cutting. They looked for interesting objects within the Geffrye's period rooms and handling collection to inspire their work and made lots of drawings. The drawings were transferred onto boards which the students carved and made prints from. The woodblocks have been varnished and mounted to create beautiful artworks for everyone to enjoy in the Geffrye's front garden, where the work can be viewed for the rest of the year.
Children visiting over the summer can take ‘rubbings’ from the boards to create their own artwork.
The My Home, My Self project
January - May 2009
Pupils from Blue Class at Horizon School have recently completed the annual 'My Home, My Self' photography project. Students learned about image making and taking photographs while exploring the idea of 'What makes a Home?' They became familiar with the Geffrye and its collections, and observed and recorded how people have presented their homes at different times in history.
The students used digital cameras to take photos of their own home, including objects and spaces with special meaning or significance to them.
The project took place over 10 weeks and this year Robert Teed - a professional photographer - shared his work and expertise through demonstration and group critiques. The project culminated in each student sitting for a professional photographic portrait in the period room of their choice.
Students presented their work at a formal event on the 13th May which was attended by family, friends, Horizon and Geffrye staff.
This project is supported by Renaissance.
