The David Unwin Arts Award
Initiated in memory of the Cambridge Town Planner, David Urwin who lived in Swaffham Bulbeck, the David Urwin Arts Award has engaged annually, for 10 years, in funding arts projects requested by applicants from all varieties of groups and individuals in the catchment area of Bottisham Village College. Three years ago, the Trustees decided to break with tradition, and explore a new way of supporting arts locally, by proactively bringing innovative projects to the area. Our first such project, Music Plus Plus - an integration of music, Islamic Art and maths, including children from Kettlefields Primary, mobius ensemble, and the Fitzwilliam Museum, was an outstanding success! CDs and videos of the project are available from the Awards secretary, Kathie Neal.
We are delighted to tell you that, for this year and the next, the Trust has agreed to sponsor arts projects in the Circle Link Schools which include Bottisham Village College and twelve local primary schools. The first such project will be an African Day with Aklowa, planned for 15 July.
For a lucky group of 320 year 3 pupils, Africa will become more than just a name associated with famine and political struggle. With the help of six Ghanaians called Aklowa, the children will spend a day immersed in African culture, exploring the richness of their singing, dancing, drumming, cooking, weaving, story-telling, fabric printing, mask-making and pottery - all through doing it the African way. Talented staff and parents will join in to help lead some of the workshops; for example one parent will be working on small hand-made looms with the children, helping them to weave typically Ghanaian Kente cloth, while a teacher helps them weave baskets with raffia and ribbons.
This multi-arts project is just the sort that David Urwin would have supported, and very likely might have been involved in, helping out or leading the pottery sessions, when his own children were young. Since the initiation of the Award, the Trust has enabled a notably large variety of projects ranging from photographic equipment, wood sculpting residency, ballet shoes and bell pulls, to singing days, book illustration, original music composition and performance, musical instruments and masterclasses, and theatre tuition. Any arts application from residents in the catchment area of Bottisham Village College, submitted in the open period, was considered through a competitive process.
The Award was funded initially by a charity drive, and subsequently by covenants from generous donors. Please contact the Award secretary if you would like further information, to see a video of the Award, or would like to make a donation.