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At the start of the month we reported on the launch of Winter Windows, an exhibition of the best festive artwork by pupils from our primary, secondary and special schools that lights up Princes Street Gardens during Edinburgh’s Christmas.
Lorna MacDonald, Principal Officer of Creative Learning, tells us more about Winter Windows.
For the second year, we have run the Winter Windows competition and the winning designs show talent and creativity. The winning young people came to the launch of the exhibition on 25 November and their designs will be on display until 4 January, but the inspiration will continue beyond the festive season.
I was delighted to work with Ruth Fisher, of Edinburgh’s Christmas, again to plan this wonderful competition, which showcases some of our young people’s artwork in an incredible location: lighting up a walkway near Santa Land and the National Gallery in East Princes Street Gardens!
Thanks to our generous sponsors, Scottish Gas and Shelter, we were able to increase the number of winning windows from 16 to 25 this year. The schools across the city didn’t disappoint either with more than a 300% increase in schools applying this year and close to 300 entries for the judges to select the wining designs from. Tough decisions, but when you visit yourself we are confident you’ll agree they are amazing and inspiring.
The launch event on 25 November took place in the lecture theatre of the National Gallery of Scotland. Dr Patricia Allerston, Deputy Director & Chief Curator of the gallery, shook hands with every winner and handed them their certificate to mark their achievement. Councllor Frank Ross spoke with praise for the young people’s creativity in art and design, as well as thanking the teachers for their valuable input.
The launch event was a super celebration, but far from an ending, as it inspired the young people, their parents, friends and teachers attending to continue creating and working to express themselves through art and design and other art forms across the curriculum. One high school teacher felt that since winning, her student has come out of her shell and the teacher hopes she will go on to even greater thing in the future. The winner herself said:
I was really surprised and amazed that I was one of the winners of the competition! I was so very proud to see my Christmas bird design enlarged and lit up for everyone to see. I felt so important when I went up on stage to receive my certificate. Mum and Dad took loads of photos of me and my design and have been sending them to all our friends. Taking part in the competition has helped me become more confident and has shown me I could go on to specialise in art and design. It’s been a great experience and has helped me believe in myself and shown me that, with hard work, anything is possible!
One winner was from Braidburn Special School, where staff used creative approaches to help the deaf and blind pupil create a design. This winning student said afterwards:
I liked going outside to be close to my window, I could feel the excitement, it made me very happy.
Do go and visit the Winter Windows to be inspired yourself!
The pupil artists that have their designs on display are:
Primary school
- Ruari Follows – Blackhall
- Emi Brownhall – St Mary’s Leith
- Frankie Walters – Sighthill
- Eve Bradshaw – Bonaly
- Elsie Poole- St John’s RC
- Emily Stewart – East Craig’s
- Leanne Miller – Fox Covert
- Krzystof Nawrocki – The Royal High
- Kitty Styles – Wardie
- Jordan Fenton – Echline
- David Puchir – Liberton
- Bobbi Baillie – Preston Street
- Rebecca Dobbie – Hermitage Park
- Emily Boulton – Stockbridge
- Helaina Young – Granton
- Yousuf Malik – Nether Currie
High school
- Zoe Ferguson – Portobello
- Karen Grant – Firrhill
- Olive Walker – James Gillespie’s
- Chira Eng Nooi – Castlebrae
- Maja Wojcik – Queensferry
- Amelia Dziedzic – Tynecastle
Special school
- Vicky Kamara – Braidburn School
- Ashley Spiers – Panmure St Ann’s
- Owen McPhail – Prospect Bank School
