One of her most popular workshops is based on the Great Fire of London.  For full information and to book a workshop with Annie, please visit the Get Out More webpage.

Over the years, ArtForms have worked closely with experienced outdoor practitioners: Get Out More CIC and Chris Harman.

Get Out More CIC offer schools the opportunity to bring a different dimension to learning about the Great Fire of London, whilst Chris uses den building as a way to enhance and develop learning across the curriculum.

For further information about both practitioners, please visit their pages on our Artists in Schools page.

Image credit: Chris Harman

Pupils will begin the day looking at drawings and developing their understanding the circumstances in which the fire started and spread so quickly through the seventeenth century capital. They will then make their own London street, complete with St Pauls Cathedral as the centrepiece. In the afternoon, pupils will experience the sights, sounds and smells of a real fire as they watch it start from a spark in the bakery and spread through their constructed city. Pupils will consider the impact of wind and water on the fire and the aftermath of the devastation on the city. The activity will help develop first-hand experience of fire as well as a practical and valuable understanding of fire safety. The activity will be led by one of Get Out More’s qualified and experienced forest school practitioners with considerable experience of fires, who will ensure strict safety procedures are followed and pupils can safely enjoy the spectacle. This is a full day programme for one class of 30 pupils, which can be modified to accommodate 2 classes if required.

If you have questions about the session or to book, please contact Annie Berrington at Get Out More on 07974 935105 or info@getoutmorecic.co.uk

Annie Berrington believes we all need to get out more, so founded Get Out More CIC; a social enterprise on a mission to help people engage with nature to feel better in mind and body. A qualified and experienced forest school practitioner, she and her team work on nature-based outdoor learning, creative and wellbeing programmes with schools, nurseries and groups across Yorkshire, using the outdoors as a tool to develop learning, motivation, social skills and mental wellbeing. She offers bespoke sessions to meet school needs including ideas, skills and confidence in working outdoors for staff.

Suitable for primary Art subject leaders or class teachers, this is a great opportunity to develop your practical art skills.

Drawing can be a fantastic tool for communication and can be used in subjects across the curriculum. Get Drawing! will explore skills progression in drawing through a range of practical skills and activities.  The Art in the Natural Environment session will highlight the connection between art and science and will provide delegates with the opportunity to experience the benefits and advantages of outdoor learning.

Both sessions will take place at Leeds Industrial Museum, Armley Mills in the second half of the summer term.  For full information, please click on the course links.  If you have any questions, please contact jane.zanzottera@leeds.gov.uk

Thursday 11th July 2019, 1pm – 4pm

Leeds Industrial Museum, Armley Mills

Join forest schools practitioner,Annie Berrington, for this practical course exploring how the natural environment can be used as a resource for creating art.  Delegates will:

• learn some simple techniques to explore the art and science of colour in nature including the Japanese art of hapa zome
• make dyes from natural and household materials
• transfer colour from nature to make banners and flags

For booking and further information, please visit Leeds for Learning.

“My creative journey started 13 years ago when I decided to leave my job and do a degree in art and design. I have always been creative and wanted to put my skills to good use.

My degree was the beginning of an amazing journey and whilst at college it allowed me to explore and develop a range of ideas, exploring materials, equipment and spaces. Mid way through the degree, I had started collaborating with artists and the public on several projects.  We made several sculptures using basic materials and I suddenly realised the act of creating something together was more special than the end result. I also discovered that people would often make dens rather than sculptures.

By the end of my third year, I had researched den building and how doing such things are fundamental to  child development. I also realised that building structures was a great activity to engage all ages.

I explored lots of materials and worked in various locations with different groups to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible. Once I left college I wanted to continue to develop my own practice, but  I could see the massive potential in working in schools to use den building to help children be creative, build confidence, increase motivation and resilliance and work as a team. In order to this, it was important for me to gain experience of working in education. So I got a job working at David Young Community Academy as a teaching assistant. The year proved to be very beneficial.

…………..And after that year I decided to buy a van, advertise and start working freelance in schools , building dens! The last 7 years have been amazing!!!   I have worked in over 600 primary schools, as well as many other educational settings, and I feel very lucky. The job is incredibly rewarding, watching others be creative, building and smiling. The den building continues to evolve by adding new materials and challenges.

My own artistic practice continues to develop around the theme of action, rather than object as art, as well as through exploring materials and spaces and working with many groups of people. Over the last seven years, I have been lucky enough to work with many organisations who have supported my work including Leeds Art Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, The Hepworth Wakfield, English Heritage, The Tetley, Leeds College of Art and Artforms.”

For further information about Chris and den building, please visit www.chris-harman.com     www.denbuilding.co.uk

Details about the Creative Project delivered by Chris, can be found here.

Get Out More runs forest schools, outdoor learning and community engagement programmes, helping people of all ages feel the health and wellbeing benefits of connecting with nature. Annie is the Managing Director at Get Out More but also still hands-on with delivery of Get Out More projects. These include a popular programme of holiday forest schools, outdoor learning and staff CPD sessions in schools, community walking programmes and workplace wellbeing sessions with businesses.

Annie trained at Jacob Kramer College of Art and Design followed by a photography degree at Nottingham Trent University. Her career spanned work in art galleries, programme management for Photo 98, the Year of Photography and at Artworks in Bradford, before an opportunity to train as a forest school practitioner presented itself and she realised she belonged working outdoors. Annie brings her creative background to her sessions, making use of seasonally available natural materials for play, learning and personal development.

Working in schools, Annie loves how enthusiastic children are about an outdoor learning day. “Children and nature are natural partners. It’s clear that they respond to the increased space and freedom of the outdoor environment and are inspired by the potential of the resources. A stick is not just a stick, it can be a magic wand, a sword, a horse or a drum stick – the options are limitless. Outside we can get hands-on with physical materials and make the most of the space, which really brings learning to life. We can pretend to be Roman gladiators fighting in the coliseum, sailors discovering a new island or recreate our own Great Fire of London by setting fire to cardboard buildings we have made. I see the children get excited about their topic work and know that they will carry a deeper level of understanding of the emotion and drama of events back into the classroom, which can be expressed through their writing and storytelling”.

Annie believes that every child should have regular opportunities to learn outdoors. “It isn’t just about learning, it impacts on children’s concentration, motivation and social skills too. Overtime, you really see children develop and grow through the creative challenges and co-operative working that outdoor activities provide. Sometimes I meet teachers who are cautious about working outside, because they are worried about behaviour or risk, but they soon see that it brings a new dimension to learning and engages pupils in surprising ways.”

You can learn more about Get Out More on the website www.getoutmorecic.co.uk or read Annie’s Connecting with Nature blog www.getoutmorecic.co.uk/blog

For further information, including how to book, please see the Creative Learning Outdoors Flyer (PDF)