Armed with cameras and creative curiosity, 32 pupils from Years 8 to 11 traded the classroom for the galleries of Newcastle and Gateshead for a cultural adventure on Thursday, 4th December.

The trip, organised by Head of Art Ms Westwood, saw the pupils explore the region's diverse art scene to generate primary photographic research for their coursework. To keep them fully engaged with the art, the pupils also completed a specially designed worksheet as they toured the galleries, hunting for details and analysing the work.

The day began at the Laing Art Gallery, where the pupils split into three smaller groups to rotate through the key exhibitions: Miniature Worlds, Northern Spirit, and 100 Years of Collecting.

As they explored the galleries, the pupils had to tackle a mix of quiz questions and visual challenges, such as identifying artists from close-up photos and abstract segments of the artworks.

Reuniting as a full group, the pupils then embarked on an architectural photo-walk down Grey Street and Dean Street. They documented the historic street scenes before crossing the Gateshead Millennium Bridge to the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

At the Baltic, the group took on the challenge of walking up all the stairs of Mark Wallinger’s Heaven and Hell Staircase. After reaching the top, the pupils made their way back down through the converted flour mill, stopping to explore the various contemporary exhibitions along the way.

Here, the focus shifted from observation to interpretation. As the pupils watched art films and viewed modern installations, they were challenged to describe what they saw and record how the artwork made them feel.

Ms Westwood was impressed by the maturity and enthusiasm shown throughout the day.

"Whilst walking round the galleries and various exhibitions, we could hear the pupils having some really interesting discussions," she said. "They were talking about the artworks with a lot of thought and passion, which was lovely to see and hear."

Competition Winners: Following the trip, the worksheets were tallied up, and we are delighted to announce that the team with the most correct answers was Olivia Bamber (9Dunphy), Evalyn Gee (9Dean), and Taya McKee (9Laheney). Well done to the trio for their sharp eyes and insightful answers!

A special thank you goes to Mrs Gardiner and Mr Metcalfe for accompanying the trip and supervising the groups. The extensive collection of photographs and research gathered during the visit will now be used to develop final pieces back in the Risedale art studio.

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