Academic helps to nurture next generation of art lovers

An art historian is helping to nurture the appreciation of art among teenagers as part of a national contest that was featured on BBC Two on Monday.

Dr Abigail Harrison Moore, Deputy Head of the University of Leeds’ School of Fine Arts, History of Art and Cultural Studies, was adjudicator for the Northern round of the ARTiculation Prize, held at The Hepworth Wakefield in February.

The Roche Court Educational Trust’s ARTiculation Prize is a public speaking competition encouraging school pupils to write and present about their favourite works of art. The mainly sixth form pupils are invited to deliver a 10-minute presentation to an audience about a work of art, artefact or architecture of their choice.

Ella Weeks, a year 11 pupil from Benton Park School in Rawdon, Leeds, joined eight other regional finalists vying for the ARTiculation Prize at the final, held at Clare College, Cambridge, on Saturday 1 March.

Ella benefited from some extra mentoring ahead of the final from Dr Harrison Moore, who has been involved with the contest since the Northern heats started four years ago.

Although Ella did not win a prize in the finals, her progress was filmed by a crew from BBC Two’s The Culture Show, broadcast on Monday 10 March.

Dr Harrison Moore also attended the final, where ceramicist and author Edmund de Waal OBE was adjudicator.

She said: ‘The competition is very valuable for introducing a wide range of students to thinking, writing and presenting about art, and it encourages them to develop very valuable skills for university study. I am constantly inspired by listening to – and judging – the presentations.

‘ARTiculation forms part of the University’s work to engage young people in research, develop their interest in art history and fine art, encourage their aspirations and support them in their transition to higher education.

‘It has also been great to work with two of our key partners in the region, Leeds Museums and Galleries and The Hepworth Wakefield.

‘Two of our first Northern heat winners have both gone on to apply to universities to study subjects linked to their original presentations, and both have used their experience of ARTiculation in their applications. I have continued to stay in touch with them, and supported one of them with her university application.’

Natalie Walton, Head of Learning at The Hepworth Wakefield, said: ‘It’s been great to see Yorkshire leading the way in the Northern heat, with four schools from Wakefield and Leeds – Wakefield Girls High School, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Airedale Academy and Benton Park School in Leeds. 

‘I’ve been impressed by the outstanding quality of the presentations and it’s wonderful to hear how visits to The Hepworth Wakefield have helped to inspire youngsters from the region, with two presentations about the Dana Schutz and Barbara Hepworth exhibitions.

‘I hope that people will watch this BBC Culture Show broadcast and find out more for themselves about this great nationwide initiative for young people.’

See here to watch ‘For the Love of Art’, the thirty minute BBC Two Culture Show programme on ARTiculation 2014 (broadcast at 10pm on 10 March and presented by Alastair Sooke).

For more information on the ARTiculation prize winners for 2014, see the Roche Court Educational Trust website.

Image: Abigail Harrison Moore and Ella Weeks at the Yorkshire regional heat (photo courtesy of The Hepworth Wakefield)