Art ACES from local schools to exhibit at DJCAD

Published On Tue 28 Jan 2014 by Grant Hill

Photo opportunity: 5.30-7.30pm on Thursday, 30th January at Bradshaw Art Space, Crawford Building, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.

Works created by dozens of school pupils from across Tayside and Fife will be exhibited at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD), part of the University of Dundee, later this week.

Participating pupils created 'mail art' as part of the Access to Creative Education in Scotland (ACES) project. This national initiative involves Scotland's four major art colleges and seeks to widen participation in art and design and architecture degrees.

The ACES Project at the University works with 30 schools in Dundee, Angus, Perth & Kinross and Fife to identify and support senior pupils who have expressed an interest in studying a creative degree at University.

The mail art project challenges pupils to send a piece of artwork to tutors through the post on a monthly basis, and 32 of the participants will be exhibiting their work at the Bradshaw Art Space from Friday, 31st January until Friday, 7th February. An opening event for pupils, their families and teachers will take place this Thursday.

'This year's event is bigger than 2013 and we are delighted to have so many pupils showcasing their work,' explained Julie Murray, Widening Participation Officer (ACES). 'We received a number of very good pieces showing a variety of subject matter and techniques, and the artists now have their first chance to exhibit work publicly.

'The rationale of this mail art project is to allow the pupils, who are prospective students, to establish a link with the art school and to encourage them to undertake creative projects in their own time which may be valuable for the portfolio aspect of their application to University.'

The artworks were on the theme of 'Multiples' which pupils could interpret as freely as they wanted. The only limitation on what they could submit was that it remained possible to send through the post.

ACES is funded primarily by the Scottish Funding Council. The project supports pupils through a range of events and activities, for example, practical 'taster' sessions on campus, portfolio guidance workshops in schools and one-to-one advice on applications.

Pupils from the following schools will be exhibiting at the mail art exhibition: Auchmuty High School (Glenrothes), Craigie High School (Dundee), Forfar Academy, Montrose Academy, Morgan Academy (Dundee), St Columba's RC High School (Dunfermline) and St Paul's RC High School (Dundee).

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